A Chance To Start Over
by Missmudblood13
Summary: It's been two years since the final battle of Hogwarts when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville are called to see Professor McGonagall, who has the ways and means to send the foursome back and inform a select group of people what's to come and how to prevent it. A, They read the books story. Rated for language.
1. The Plan

I do not own anything that is in bold. Nor do I own any of the characters you see in this fic. They all belong to J.K Rowling. although if she would be willing to lend me Sirius Black for a night. I would be forever greatful.

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The Plan

It had been two Years after the war, when Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom were called to a meeting, with their former head of house, and new Headmistress of Hogwarts Professor McGonagall.

"This meeting is very important, so I hope you will all pay attention and think about it extremely hard. Since your adventure in the ministry of magic four years ago which destroyed all of the time turners, the unspeakables from the department of mysteries, have been working extremely hard to replace them, and in the process, have discovered even more about time travel then anyone could have ever thought possible. What I have here (she placed a curios looking silver object on her desk) has the ability to take up to 5 people back in time, as far back as 50 years to be précis."

At this revelation the group standing before her stared in shock and disbelief at what their former teacher was saying.

"I'm sorry professor but what does this have to do with us exactly" Inquired Hermione

"I was just getting to that. The war has taken its toll on all of us and we have lost a great deal of people family and friends. After speaking with someone from the ministry who shall remain nameless and who also suffered a loss at the hands of Voldemort and his deplorable followers we have decided that given the chance to change things if we can then we should."

"How? You mean go back in time and destroy Voldemort before any of this happened?" asked Harry he had already spent a year tracking down and destroying Voldemort he didn't really fancy doing it all again.

"Yes and no." again she reached under the desk and brought up seven books and a roll of parchment. "These books tell a story, your story to be precise Mr Potter. Your mission, should you choose to accept. Is to takes these books back 22 years to the year 1978 you will find your selves standing in this very office, you will give this letter to Professor Dumbledore, that will explain everything. You will be joined by (If they choose to agree) both of your parents Mr Potter and Mr Longbottom, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Regulus Black, Professor Dumbledore and also I shall be there from that time period. In the room of requirement you will read these books so as they can be prepared, and know what is needed to destroy Voldemort. This way will be better than just going there and telling them what you remember, as every little detail could be just as important as the big ones. If after hearing these stories they choose to let the future play out as it has, then you will Obliviate there memories and return to exactly this place in time and nothing will have changed. I however hope that won't be the case."

"And if they choose to act on the information we give them?" asked Hermione

"Then when you walk out of the room of requirement you will cease to exist anything that has happened past that day of 1978 will cease to exist. You will all be born, or born again if you will in the year 1980, and hopefully this time Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom will be raised by their parents, and Harry won't lose his Godfather both to Prison and his own cousin. You Miss Granger will not have to erase your parent's memory of all knowledge of you, and you Mr Weasley will not have to go through the pain of losing a brother. I will give you a week to decide whether you accept my proposal. If you make your decision before then I of course shall be here."

During the course of the next couple of days the foursome met regularly to talk about the offer they had been made and the pros and cons of such a task. After the third day only Hermione was left with any reservations.

"It's such a big thing to change though." She said for what seemed like the thousandth time "I've never heard of such a device to send someone back in time so far."

"Yeah well you wouldn't have would you." Replied Ron "The whole thing about the department of Mysteries is that it's just that, a mystery nobody knows what happens down there."

"Anyway," added Harry "Had you heard about time turners before your third year."

"No but..."

"Exactly and you trusted McGonagall's Judgement on them then so why not now? I'm sure McGonagall wouldn't put us in any danger."

"Oh I don't know Harry what if we change too much and we're never born."

"Well," piped up Neville "correct me if I'm wrong but if we are never born then we'll never know"

"Exactly," Harry said again. "Hermione this is a chance to change everything and the likely hood is it'll change for the better. They will know all about the prophecy before it's even made, Voldemort won't go after my parents, they'll know about the horcruxes, and where to find them so they can be destroyed quicker. Tell me that isn't a good thing. That, that isn't worth doing."

"I'm with Harry on this" declared Ron

"Me Too" said Neville

"Oh I suppose your right. If McGonagall's got it all planned out already she must know what she's doing. Fine I'm in."

"Good we'll go tell her first thing tomorrow."

* * *

"We're in, and we're ready to go whenever you are professor."

"Great I was hoping you would come to that decision. Now this works very similar to a portkey although rather than travelling you over a distance it will travel you over time. You all need to make sure you are touching the device and I will activate it. One of you will need to take the bag with the books and the letter in. and in case the reading occurs over a full moon you might want to take some of this as well," she said handing over a sealed flask of Wolfsbane potion. "I don't believe it has been invented in 1978."

"I'll take that" offered Hermione taking the book bag.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yes" chorused the foursome, Harry noticed Hermione was looking apprehensive while Neville was looking distinctively pale. Ron however like Harry looked rather excited.

"The Good luck." Harry heard McGonagall activate the device, and then felt that familiar took behind his navel. However unlike a portkey, he seen flashes of his life blur before his eyes in reverse order. The rest of them were having similar experiences, seeing flashes from their own past, before they landed in exactly the same room as they were when they left. It was, however Professor Dumbledore that looked up at them, with a curious expression in his eyes.


	2. Suspected Family Reunions

I do not own anything you see in bold nor any characters you recognise that is the wonerful work of J.K. Rowling.

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Suspected Family Reunions

"Well, this is a rather unexpected surprise." Dumbledore declared, quickly getting over his shock at seeing four people emerging in his study out of thin air. "How may I be of service to you all?"

"We've been sent her by Professor McGonagall sir." Replied Hermione in what she hoped was a steady voice. "I have this letter for you." She continued, while digging in the book back for the peace of parchment. Finally finding it she withdrew the envelope handing it over to Professor Dumbledore. After going over the usual safety precautions to check the letter had in no way been tampered with he opened the envelope and began reading. The group couldn't help but notice the usual twinkle in his eye getting brighter and brighter.

"So I am assuming you being the only girl here you must me Miss Granger," Dumbledore enquired.

"Yes Sir."

"And you have to be Mr Weasley."

"Yes sir."

"And of course you look so much like Mr Potter, You have to Harry."

"Yes sir"

"Which leaves Mr Longbottom?"

"Yes sir"

"Well, I am assuming you know why you're here?"

"Yes sir, we have the books right here with us and we're ready to start whenever you can gather the people on the list together." Hermione stated. Who (Now that they had landed in the right time period) was anxious to get reading in typical Hermione fashion.

"I'm also assuming you know where this room of requirement is, forgive me, but this castle is so big not even I, who have been here for quite some time know about such a room."

"Yes sir it's on the seventh floor opposite the tapestry of Barnabus the barmy and the dancing trolls. The room only presents itself when a person is in need of it, and then it'll present itself as whatever the person needs the room to be."

"How delightful, well I will gather up the students and Professor McGonagall immediately and meet you at the tapestry. I must say though these are an odd group of people you want to make privy to the knowledge of the future."

"They all play a very important roll to the destruction of Voldemort. If we're to change the events, and we sincerely hope we do, all the people on the list need to know what's in these books."

"Very well then, I shall meet you in 10 minutes time at our agreed location."

* * *

Severus Snape and Regulus Black were walking towards the seventh floor wondering why on earth the headmaster wished to see them and why next to a tapestry of dancing trolls of all places.

"I wonder what idiotic plans our muggle loving headmaster has in store for us today."

"Do you think he knows we plan on taking the mark?"

"Have you seen my family Snape, well most of them," his lip curling in disgust at the thought of the blood traitor brother. "He would be stupid not to know, I plan on taking the mark. Maybe the old fool still thinks he can save us. Ha."

Of course Regulus had already taken the mark when he turned sixteen and as much as he trusted Snape he wasn't about to let it become common knowledge. he rubbed the place on his wrist when the mark had been burnt into him, and then pushed the thought of Dumbledore knowing to the back of his head.

"Speaking of your arrogant brother why is he and his equally pig headed friends here as well?" said Snape, spotting them as he rounded the corner.

"What the hell are you doing her Snivelly," Shouted James Potter. Propelling himself off the wall he had been casually leaning against.

"Everyone is here on the invitation of our guests." Dumbledore was standing just inside a door that hadn't been there a minute ago. "Now if you could all step inside and we will explain what's going on. Hopefully Professor McGonagall Miss Evans Miss Brown and Mr Longbottom will be here any minute."

Snape, who had been thinking of refusing to go into the same room as Potter by choice, quickly changed his mind when he heard the mention of his ex-best friend. They might not be friends anymore but he wasn't stupid enough to pass up an opportunity to spend time with her. "If you weren't stupid, you wouldn't have called her what you did" said a snide little voice inside his head.

Regulus on the other hand was staring at the headmaster as if he had grown a second head. "You expect me to sit in a room with a bunch of…"

"A bunch of what? Mr Black,"

"A... A bunch of Gryffindor's."

"Yes I do, I have brought you hear to gain some very useful knowledge that I know for a fact would interest you. Surely you wouldn't want to pass that opportunity up now would you?"

Making a huffing sound, Regulus also followed Snape and the Gryffindor's into the room, which was furnished with large sofas, armchairs, cushions and bean bags. They were soon joined by the head of Gryffindor house and two of her students Lily, Alice and Frank an ex Ravenclaw who was currently in his second year of Auror training. They all took a seat around the room, and waited avidly for Dumbledore to explain what in Merlin's name they were doing there.

"Now you are all here, I will explain the best I can and the hand over to our guests to fill in any other details. The four people in the room you don't recognise…"

"I recognise him" interrupted Sirius "Is he a relative of yours Prongs."

"Not that I know of," Replied James. He was looking at Harry with open curiosity. That hair was definitely Potter hair.

"If you let me finish Mr Black you will find out exactly who he is and whether or not he is related to Mr Potter here. As I was saying the four people are from the future. Apparently it would seem in their time they have mastered the use of time travel more effectively than they have in ours. Their names: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter." Dumbledore announced pointing at each individual in turn.

"Did you say Longbottom?" Said Frank.

"Did you say Potter?" Said James.

"Indeed I did, they are here with knowledge of the future and of how to defeat Lord Voldemort." Most of the room flinched at the mention of his name.

"Then why are they here. Their up to the eye balls in the dark arts. They can't wait to join You Know Who can they," Shouted James.

"I am assured by Mr Potter here that both Mr Snape and Mr Black willingly play a part in bringing about the end of Voldemort." (Many of the room flinched)

At this Regulus looked as though he had just swallowed particularly nasty Berty Botts, he chose to remain silent however as he wasn't about to come out and pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord in front of Dumbledore whether Dumbledore suspected him or not.

"With that why don't I let someone from the future explain a little bit more?"

"Harry I think it should be you, it's your story after all," whispered Hermione.

"Right," Said Harry, "okay well as Professor Dumbledore said we're from the future the year 2000 to be exact. Two years ago the four of us along with many others brought down Voldemort (again the occupants of the room besides the four time travellers and Dumbledore flinched) the books." He looked to Hermione who withdrew the books from her bag and placed them on a table that suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, many of the room gasped and Remus opened his mouth to speak but Harry continued. "I'll explain the room in a minute Remus." At the look he received he also added "and you will find out how I know you soon enough. Right as I was saying the books we have brought with us tell the story of how Voldemort was defeated. I am led to believe they contain the story of my seven years at this school. If you choose to stay, you will gain this knowledge in the hopes that Voldemort will be defeated quicker, and many lives will be saved. If not we'll go back now taking the books with us. If you choose to stay, we'll then read the books. If after that, you choose to leave the future how it is written, we'll modify your memories, and you will be none the wiser. It will be as if your time in this room never happened. I will also add there is a charm on this room that prevents you talking about what you have heard in here to anyone else until all seven books are complete. So anyone who may wish to inform potential enemies will be unable to do so."

"What about at the end of the books? Wouldn't the potential death eaters in the room, run off and tell their soon to be master?" James demanded.

"At the end of the reading we also have a way of detecting what someone's real intentions are. Although I think by the end of the books you will all be satisfied that everyone in this room, if not now, do eventually see Voldemort (flinch) for what he is. Incidentally you may also want to get over your aversion to saying and hearing oldemorts (flinch) name as we'll all be taking it in turns to read aloud and the name is no doubt mentioned many times. Now does anyone have any questions?"

"You… You have my eyes." Stated lily rather nervously could this boy be her son from the future.

"So I've been told." Answered Harry with a smile, he didn't wanted to give the game away too quickly.

"Are you my son?"

"We'll have to read to find out." Replied Harry, he hadn't missed that the small gap between his mother and father had become even smaller and the way James' hand had reached out towards Lily's

"What is his room then?" enquired Remus finally getting to voice his earlier question.

"Neville, why don't you do the honours?"

"Oh umm, this is the room of requirement." He told them rather shakily but as he went on his voice grew more and more confident. "Basically the room provides you with whatever you need, well apart from food. All you need to do is stand outside, and walk up and down past the wall three times, thinking about what you need the room to provide. It's good to be really specific though if you need it for something important. Like for this reading we have requested that nobody be able to find us. That nobody is able to speak of what is happening inside the room, and the room will alert us if someone has less than innocent motive."

"Wow that sounds excellent," declared Frank. Harry couldn't help but notice three identical evil smirks playing on the marauders face. "How did you find out about this place? I would have thought them three over there would have known but judging from their faces I'd say not." The Marauders instantly tried to shift their expressions into a look that they hoped was innocent. McGonagall wasn't fooled she sent them a look that plainly stated. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, and this room."

"That's also something you'll find out in the books, but you'll have to wait until the fifth year." Replied Neville Who by the look on his face, found it just as weird having a conversation with his parents for the first time in his life as Harry did.

"Why isn't Peter here? I mean James, Sirius and Remus are why not Peter?" Asked Lily

"Well I can't answer that without giving away information, but it will become clear exactly why he isn't here. Anymore questions?" replied Harry. The three Marauders and Lily were slightly taken aback by the dark look, not only on Harrys face but Ron and Hermione's too. They weren't sure they wanted to find out now.

"Yeah," Piped up Alice "when do we start? 'Cause these books sound like it is going to be a crazy ride."

"We can start straight away, unless the headmaster has any objections."

"None what so ever, I suggest we get started now we will read until lunch, at which time we can either have a house elf provide us with something to eat, or we can go to the great hall and have lunch as usual. We'll decide that when the time comes. However I do think it wiser for the time travellers to eat in here. It will be hard to explain why there is suddenly a double of James Potter walking around the school."

"Yes, because one's bad enough." said McGonagall with a look towards the current head boy.

"I couldn't agree more," Whispered Snape. Regulus who was sat beside him on one of the couches nodded his agreement.

"So," Said Hermione picking up the first book. "Would anyone mind if I read the first chapter we could take it in turns going clockwise around the room. Oh and one more thing. Everyone in this room makes an appearance in these books, some of you later than others, but you are all important in defeating Voldemort. We thought it easier to have you here for the whole thing rather than bring you in later and have to explain and go over everything again."

"Thank you Miss Granger. Why don't you fire away? "

* * *

A.N I've made a slight change to this chapter as I suddenly remembered last night that Nevilles father was a celebrated auror so he must have been one for at least a year before the lovely Bella an co got to him so I made him two years older than James and Lily, as it takes three years to become an auror, so if my calculations are correct this takes place in 1978 Voldemort falls in 1981 meaning Frank would have been an auror for two years.


	3. The Boy Who Lived

I do not own anything you see in bold nor do I own any characters you recognise they go to the beautiful talented J.k. Rowling, and unfortunately I am not her so don't sue me because I already have nothing.

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The Boy Who Lived

"This Book is called** Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone**."

"What's the Philosophers stone?" questioned Alice

Dumbledore smiled and said "I am sure you will find out in due course Miss Brown"

**"The Boy Who Lived," **Hermione read aloud

"Well that sounds ominous" Whispered Frank.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"You're welcome" replied Sirius

"Dursley? That's the surname of my sister's brute of a fiancé." Declared lily, "what's he got to do with this?"

"Unfortunately you'll find out." Harry replied, giving his future mother a sad smile.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"Well doesn't he sound like a good looking chap" Alice said in disgust. Sirius James and Remus gave a snort of laughter,

"Oh he really is vile," Lily said looking over too Alice. "I'm surprised he can fit through door frames."

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"If that's Petunia It seems some things never change," intoned Severus. Lily really wished she could have contested her former friend's statement, but it seemed he was right.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"I'm already getting a feeling their opinion shouldn't count for much. No offence if this is your sister lily," said Remus

"None taken, unfortunately my relationship with my sister isn't one filled with hugs and puppies."

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"What's wrong with the Potters?" Exclaimed James indignantly

"Would you like me to make you a list?" requested Regulus.

**Mrs. Potter**

"It seems you get stuck with him Lils, poor you." Joked Sirius

**Was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,**

Lily gave a small sniff of sadness at the loss of someone who she once was very close to, prompting James snaked his arm around her shoulder and whisper something in her ear unheard by the rest of the group. She gave a small nod of her head and smiled up at her boyfriend. At which he lent down and briefly brushed his lips against hers.

Only Harry sore the look of pain that flitted across Snape's face for half a second before he smoothed it back into its normal mask of indifference.

**Because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

"That's not even a word" snorted Hermione and Lily at the same time.

"I don't know about you guys but I wouldn't want to be Dursleyish (making air quotations around the ridiculous made up word) anyway," Sirius declared. "They sound way too boring to me"

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too,**

"That would be you. Yes?" asked Lily Harry smiled and nodded.

"So this must be the strangest thing ever. Being in the same room as your parents before you're even born and by the looks of it being older than us too." Said James

"Yes. This is probably one of the weirder things I've done and trust me when I say coming from me that really is saying something." The rest of the time travellers chuckled and nodded their head in agreement at this.

**but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"I bet my son is a damn sight better than yours, Dursley," shouted James.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"Like I said my son is probably a million times better than theirs."

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map.**

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with Minnie" Laughed Sirius.

"Thank you Mr. Black but why on earth would I be outside a Muggle dwelling."

"If them Idiots could all stop interrupting," Barked Regulus, Looking over to the Gryffindor's, "maybe we will find out."

"Mr. Black please watch your manners, and Miss Granger, please continue reading," Said Professor Dumbledore.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.**

The whole grouped laughed at the actions of the suspected Mcgonagall cat.

**As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no, ****_looking _****at the sign; cats couldn't read maps ****_or _****signs**.

"If your names Minnie it can." Said James

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"What's strange about that?" enquired all the Purebloods.

"Use your brains," Said lily, "of course it's strange to Muggles. They don't wear cloaks do they?"

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

"He really does sound wonderful I can see why someone would fall in love and agree to marry him really I can." stated Alice innocently.

**But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt — these people were obviously collecting for something . . . yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. ****_He _****didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did;they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead**.

"Surely even Muggles know what owls are. I mean they're not even magical creatures." cried Regulus.

"Of course Muggles know what owls are." replied Hermione exasperatedly "they're just not used to seeing them, especially in day times, and in towns and cities no less."

Regulus just gave her a scathing look and then turned away and resumed the bored look he had worn since the book had started. He really didn't see why he was here. There was no way he would go against the Dark Lord. His mother and father had told him all about how great he was and how he was going to bring back Wizarding pride, and he was going to help do it.

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time.**

Hermione sent a smug smile in Regulus' direction

** , however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood**

"He considers that good?" Said Alice in disbelieve

"I told you he's vile," Replied Lily.

**Until lunchtime when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the 'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard —"**

**"— yes, their son, Harry —"**

"What happened why are they talking about us what's wrong with Harry? What was wrong with you?" cried an anxious Lily, looking over to her son.

"It's okay love I'm sure Harry's fine. He's sitting right their see so I'm sure it's not overly bad." said James pulling her closer to him, but he still sent a worried look in Harry's direction

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office,snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone**,

"What's a telephone?" enquired Frank.

"It's a Muggle device people use to talk to each other." Hermione answered.

Regulus looked over at her with look of utter disgust on his face. "A Mudblood" he thought, "I should have known."

Hermione seeing the look on his face just sent him a wide smile in return, she knew what he was thinking. Did he really think that after fighting a war against Voldemort (and winning) she would really care about being called a Mudblood?

**And had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking . . . no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"urgh, Hardly what kind of name is Harold?" said James.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if he'd had a sister like that . . .**

"Ha," said harry, "Wait till you see what his sister is like. I'm sure we'll meet her in the summer before my third year,"

**but all the same, those people in cloaks . . .He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door."Sorry,"**

"Shock horror" said Ron "he actually knows the word. Well colour me pink and call me a unicorn." A few snorts of laughter erupted around the room at Rons comment and he turned a shade of red that only a Weasley can achieve.

**He grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers by stare,"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice,for You-Know-Who has gone at last**!

"Wait though you had only defeated Voldemort recently?" asked Sirius.

"We did" said Harry "Voldemort, it turns out wasn't actually defeated. I am sure the book will explain."

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle**

"How on earth did he manage that?" asked Lily

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" questioned Alice

**and walked . Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle,**

"You were, because you are one." Sneered Snape.

**Whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"Yep that's that, definitely wouldn't want to be Dursleyish. Why would anyone disapprove of imagination? That's where all the best pranks come from." Said Sirius in disbelieve. Was this guy for real?

Dumbledore was also shaking his head. "Imagination is key, who knows what you can discover if you open your mind up to all possibilities."

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw — and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. "Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"Definitely you then Minnie" Sniggered the Marauders.

McGonagall gave them the exact same stern look which just sent them into peals of laughter. Harry couldn't help laughing along with them it felt so good seeing his dad properly for the first time and getting to see Sirius and Remus as happy as they were before his parents died. This is how it should always have been. If he didn't know it before he was not certain that they had made the right decision. They would change things. Everyone in this room would get the future they deserve.

He looked round and seen Hermione looking at him with a sad smile she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze and nodded her head. And he knew instantly she agreed with him.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered**.

"No" said the room at large

**Trying to pull himself together,he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Shan't!").**

"Oh really," said Professor McGonagall contempt evidence in every syllable, "what a delightful child."

"Was that an attempt at sarcasm professor?" asked James

McGonagall just fixed them with another of her legendary stern looks at which the three marauders in the room just sniggered. The time travellers got the feeling this was a usual occurrence, where the marauders and their head of house were concerned.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?" **

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." **

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters ... **

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. **

**"Er — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?" As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

Lily flinched again at the hatred her sister still harboured for her

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?" **

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls . . . shooting stars . . . and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today . . ." **

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley. **

**"Well, I** **just thought . . . maybe . . . it was something to do with . . . you know . . . hercrowd."**

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could,**

**"Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"Howard," snorted James that's even worse than Harold. "No" he said Looking over at Harry "He is definitely a Harry"

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me." **

"Bloody well better than Dudley, That's a form of child abuse that is, and I should know I got landed with Sirius for a name"

"Could have been worse could have been called Snivellus" whispered James to Sirius. Remus with his sensitive hearing also heard but while James and Sirius gave snorts of laughter, Remus shook his head. "James might have changed this year but some things will forever remain the same," Remus thought to himself.

** "Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.**

**While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did . . . if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

"They sound exactly like the blood supremacists only the other way round. Instead of hating Muggles they hate witches and wizards," Said James, the distaste evident in his tone.

"They are," Replied Harry.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind. . . . He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect them. . . .**

**How very wrong he was.**

"Why," Cried Lily getting worried again. "Why would it affect them. "

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.** **The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt**.** He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.**

"Dumbledore" cried the Gryffindors including Neville and Ron while Hermione and Harry grinned at each other.

The Slytherins in the room however look far from impressed and scowled at what they deemed to be childish antics from the less than savoury company they were currently keeping.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. **

"Like he would care," Professor McGonagall muttered.

"Yes," said professor Dumbledore, who seemed to have heard her. "I have never much cared for other peoples opinion of me, I dare say if I did I would have shut myself away a long time ago."

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,**

"What and interesting name for it," chuckled Dumbledore.

"What's its actual name sir?" asked lily

"A deluminator, I made it myself actually." Dumbledore replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman**

"Wow professor is anyone safe from you? Apparently not," said Sirius, answering his own question at the look McGonagall gave him.

"I would be tempted to give you a detention if the situation was different. As it is, given the current circumstances, and the fact that things may get heated, with Lord V-Voldemort in the mix. I believe things that are said should be left to slide."

"Quite agreed professor McGonagall," intoned Dumbledore.

"That doesn't mean however that you forget you're manners completely, that also goes for you Mr Potter and You Mr Lupin."

"Thanks mate," said Lupin "getting us told off when we haven't done anything."

**who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." **

The group all giggled but quickly abated when Mcgonagall sent them all another stern look.

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls . . . shooting stars. . . . Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"Eleven years so this takes place three years from now yes?" Frank asked.

"Yes," replied Harry "Voldemort appeared to have been destroyed in 1981, unfortunately that wasn't so."

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours." She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really hasgone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. **

"Did you know he was really gone Professor?" questioned Lily

"While I cannot say what my future self is thinking. I believe he may have disappeared whether I believed him to be truly dead or not, I cannot be sure, but I would be inclined to think that no, I did not believe him truly dead. I have done much research and digging into the goings of Voldemort and I believe he strives to make himself immortal. Above all things, Voldemort fears death."

**"We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"What the hell is a lemon drop."

"Language please, Mr. Black, and a Lemon drop is a Muggle sweet, a rather nice one at that," said Dumbledore.

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

** "No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who hasgone —"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

**"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows**

**you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

"Only because you're too noble to use them," Said McGonagall

**"Only because you're too — well — noble to use them." **

"Ah the world is ever changing but some things remain the same," said James the smile on his face threatening to break out into laughter.

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **

"Thanks for the Visual sir," said Ron smirking.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

"Why do I get the feeling this is where we come into the story?" questioned James looking to Lily and then over to Harry the worry clearly written on his face.

Harry tried to hold his fathers gaze but found that he couldn't, so instead he focussed his eyes on his hands which were sat in his lap.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.**

Many of the room's occupants gasped and turned to look at the couple sitting on one of the sofas, as if to make sure they were still there and still in one piece.

**The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're — dead."**

Lily let out a whimper and held on to James hand even tighter than before.

Severus looked over to his former friend is this what the future had in store for Lily. Would she be dead in three years? Would they have ever made up? Judging by the fact they hadn't spoken since fifth year, he was betting on no they hadn't. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.

** Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James . . . I can't believe it . . . I didn't want to believe it . . . Oh, Albus…" **

"I, I didn't know you cared so much," said James, trying to lift the mood of the room and failing miserably.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder.**

**"I know . . . I know . . ." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potters' son, Harry**.

"What he's just a baby, why would anyone want to kill a baby, what on earth could he have done to offend you? You vile twisted… I don't even know what to call him; he is definitely not a man."

James placed his hand on Lily's shoulder. "Try to calm down love, I know it's horrible, but that's why Harry and the others are here" turning to Harry and the other time travellers he said. "These books give us all the info we need to defeat him once and for all right?"

"Yes as well as names of current and in some cases future death eaters. Also names of other people who Voldemort plans to target and names of people you can and can't trust to help you."

"See love when we finish these books we'll be able to change these things, and we will change them."

He shared a look with Sirius and Remus that clearly said we have to change this.

**But — he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy.**

"What? Why couldn't he kill you?" Lily Exclaimed. These books were doing nothing for their nerves.

"I think it will partly be explained in this book, come the fourth it should be explained in full."

**"No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone."**

"Woah, do you have some like super power or something," said Alice, looking at Harry in disbelief.

Harry looked over to Dumbledore and said "Well some would call it that."

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's — it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done . . . all the people he's killed . . . he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding . . . of all the things to stop him . . . but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me ****_why _****you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

"But surely we would have made Sirius God Father," Said James. "Please tell me he isn't dead as well."

"Yes you did make him God Father. There is a reason why I was taken there. It will be explained in future books."

"Alright!" Sirius exclaimed. "Thanks mate. It's an honour."

**"You don't mean — you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"I am certainly in agreement with myself he sounds like a dreadful boy."

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

"A letter," cried out Lily "How can you be able explain that in a letter, could you not at least wait till morning to bring him and explain in person."

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future —**

"Merlin I'm glad it wasn't," said Harry.

"Yeah, but there is one now," sniggered Ron

"Don't remind me."

Hermione looked at the other line and supressed a giggle.

**there will be books written about Harry —** **every child in our world will know his name!"**

"Do they?" James asked.

"Every man woman and child," replied Harry

"Under different circumstances that would be cool," said James.

"Trust me it isn't."

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?" **

"If he's anything like Potter waiting until he understands won't change a thing," said Snape.

"Oh put a sock in it. Jealousy isn't a good look," remark Sirius.

"Jealous of him, I happen to think there is more to life than Quidditch and admiring my own reflection."

"Clearly, when exactly was the last time you washed your hair Snivelly?" shot back James.

"Boys, boys please," said Professor Dumbledore in a calm voice. "If you cannot keep a civil tongue with each other, then I suggest you don't say anything at all. I would like us all to come out of this reading in one peace."

"Yes" added McGonagall "These books sound stressful enough we don't need the two of you adding to it."

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it — wise — to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?" **

"I would trust Hagrid with my life," Said Harry,

"Yeah but not with a secret," added Ron.

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore. **

"It seems someone agrees with you Harry," said Neville.

"Indeed I do Mr Longbottom."

"Okay," said Frank "that's just weird, hearing you say that. I'm guessing you're my son then, If Harry is James," He finished turning to face Neville.

Neville looked over to Harry and he gave him a brief nod "yes," answered Neville.

"Is Alice here your mother then?" He asked taking one of her hands in his.

Neville nodded and sent a smile in his parent's direction.

"Wow we have a son. Your mother is going to be thrilled, she simply adores me," said Alice in a sarcastic tone

"Well it seems she will just have to get used to it."

"She thinks her little Frankie is too good for me," she said seeing the look of confusion on Nevilles face.

"That and it may also have something to do with calling her Mr. Longbottom when you first met her."

The whole room burst into laughter, including the two moody Slytherins although they quickly tried to hide their amusement.

"It's not like I said it on purpose. I genuinely thought she was your dad."

"Yes, because that makes it so much better," said frank wiping a tear of amusement from his eyes. "After you said that, that's when I knew I was onto a winner."

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?" A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"Awesome," breathed Sirius. "That sounds so cool. Hey Prongs remember our little incident with Motorbikes and the Muggle police last year."

"I really don't want to know do I?" Lily asked.

"Probably not," replied James and Sirius in unison

While Harry leaned over to Ron and whispered "remind me to ask them about that when I get a chance."

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild.— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.**

"Hagrid" cried the group again. Laughing at his description which they all found to be fairly accurate

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets. "Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

"Awesome I have a flying motorbike in the future. That is one thing we are not changing."

"I'm sure the Miss use of Muggle artefacts department of the Ministry will have something to say about that," said McGonagall with a sniff.

"Like they can talk," Ron said in an undertone to Harry. "I know for a fact dad is already working there he went straight to it after finishing here."

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Remus in suspicion.

"You'll find out next book."

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. **

"Is that where" said Lily looking up to Harry and there she seen the same lightening scar she hadn't paid much attention to it before but not she couldn't take her eyes off it here was the proof that a psychotic dark wizard had tried to kill her baby.

"Yes," said Harry trying to flatten his fringe over the scar.

"I'm sorry." Lily said noticing his actions. "I didn't mean to stare it's just makes it so much more real that this actually happened."

**"Is that where — ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" **

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

"Thanks for that information sir, but being a wizard and never needing to use public transport how does that come in handy to you?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"I happen to think trains are one of the many joys of this life."

"You and my dad would get on like a house on fire sir," stated Ron

"Ah yes. Arthur Weasley, alas if only more people were like him,"

**Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

"How on earth did you manage to sleep through that?" asked Hermione

"I must have been a heavy sleeper. Don't worry though the Dursleys will soon knock that out of me,"

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it — Lily an'James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep,**

"You're leaving him on the door step. In the middle of autumn do you want him to get hyperthermia," shrieked Lily.

"I am sure I will have placed warming and protective enchantments around him. He will have been quite safe and comfortable."

** took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets,**

"I still can't believe you're only leaving them a letter," said Hermione.

**and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"That's never a good sign," said Sirius he remembered the twinkling look that was usually in the headmasters eyes had disappeared after the incident with Snape and Remus. In fact he was surprised he was still sitting in the school at all

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley. . . . He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

By the end of the chapter Lily's tears were flowing freely she couldn't believe it her only son had to grow up never knowing his parents. Never knowing how much she and James would have loved him and cared for him. "Harry would you – could I – I just – Could I give you a hug."

"Oh urm, yeah… yeah of course," Harry replied his cheeks flushing with colour. He had never hugged his mother in his life and here he was about to for the first time in living memory and she was younger than him and hadn't even given birth to him. But when they met in the middle of the room and she wrapped his arms around him, it felt like the most wonderful natural thing on the planet. He was finally hugging his mother and she was hugging him back. He didn't care that his eyes was starting to water he let the tears come. He had longed for this moment all his life. Soon he was joined by his father as well and he enveloped both of them. This was his family. He was with his family.

They didn't notice that around them, Hermione, Alice, McGonagall and Dumbledore also had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. That Sirius and Remus were beaming at the family (all be it a strange family where the child is older than the parents) in front of them, or the look of disgust on the faces of the two Slytherins. Snape was filled with anger and jealousy while Remus was thinking to himself. "No wonder they were killed, when they wear their hearts so open for everyone to see."

After the little family had a brief moment together they soon took their seats and Hermione handed the book over to Ron.


	4. The Vanishing Glass

I do not own anything you see in bold, or any characters you recognise, they are the spectacular work of J.K. Rowling. I would love to show my appreciation through Sirius Black if she allowed me to though.

* * *

Ron took the book from Hermione and turned the page over and read aloud. "**The Vanishing glass**"

"You know Ron said Harry "this may just be the first time I've seen you read something without complaint."

"Sounds like someone I know," said Remus glancing over too look at Sirius, who merely shrugged and replied "why bother reading what you already know everything."

"well you won't be getting out of reading these," said Hermione with a look to rival that of McGonagalls.

"Nah," replied Sirius "I can't wait to find out what pup gets up to at school.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door;**

"Well if that isn't the most boring place on earth I don't know where is," scoffed Sirius.

**it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago,there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different coloured bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

"Why not?" Lily said, "I don't like the sounds of that."

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but notfor long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voicethat made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

**"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream aunt was back outside the door.**

** "Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"You have to make breakfast for them? said Lily in disbelief. "How old were you there? Ten?"

"Yeah."

"How old were you when you first started cooking?"

"Since I could reach the stove really," Harry replied not able to bring himself to look at his mother.

"Padfoot mate, fancy showing the Dursleys that payback's a bitch."

"Name the time Prongs, and I'm there." Replied Sirius

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

**"Nothing, nothing . . ."**

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry gotslowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pairunder his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put themon. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under thestairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

"What!" screamed the room at large, and then everyone started shouting at once.

"Who makes a child sleep in a cupboard under the stairs?"

"Harry. Why didn't you ever mention this to us?"

"Oh that is not on. Nobody does that to my God son and gets away with it"

"I swear if I ever come into contact with them they'll need dental records to identify the body."

"What are dental records?" James asked his girlfriend.

"It's a muggle thing," replied Lily still shaking in her anger. "Basically what I'm saying is, when I'm through with him, he'll be unrecognisable as a human being,"

"I like where you're going with that," said Remus. "However can everyone stop shouting or at least give me pre warning of when you're going to shout, extra sensitive ears over here."

Throughout all this commotion Harry kept his eyes firmly on the ground, he hated looking weak around people, he didn't realise these books would show him at his most vulnerable.

Snape on the other hand was looking at him with pity playing in his eyes. Though he would never admit it his childhood had been, by the sounds of it. similar to Harrys no child deserved that. He wouldn't wish his childhood experiences on his worst enemy.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry,as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry,**

**"**Spoilt evil little brat," muttered didn't think she could ever remember being this angry.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast**.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard,but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age**

"Nah this one has always been a scrawny git to," laughed Sirius pointing over at James. He was soon met with a huge pillow to the face.

**He lookedeven smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to**

**wear were old clothes of Dudley's,**

"Oh come on," said Lily "surely if they can afford all the TV's and computers and bikes they can afford some clothes that fit Harry. It doesn't even make sense they are just making themselves look bad anyone with half a brain can see that he is being neglected."

**and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees,black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

Hermione, Lily, James and Sirius all growled at this. They didn't say anything though, every single one of them wanted to get passed hearing about the Dursleys as quickly as possible.

**The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"Oh, how times change," muttered harry.

"Hey what's wrong with our appearance," shot James with a look of mock hurt. "I think we look pretty good thank you very much."

"You would," said Remus.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," **

"What in Merlins saggy left testicle is a car," said James,

"It's a form Muggle transport," answered Lily. "And Why on earth is she lying to him she knows how we died, Dumbledore explained everything in his letter."

**she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

**_Don't ask questions – _****that was the first rule for a quiet life with Dursleys**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

"Sorry Kiddo, That's the Potter curse, just got to make it work for you," said James ruffling his hair.

Harry snorted which made Sirius burst out laughing which made Remus laugh and soon enough the whole room was laughing at James' expense.

"Oh," he said looking over at harry going red "I forgot you were… well. You. Well I'm sure we've missed out on many opportunities to be as embarrassing as parents should be, may as well make up for them while we can eh."

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel —**

"Yeah I can see the resemblance to an angel from that description,"snorted Alice

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

"Now that one I can believe," she continued

"I hope you describe us better than that Harry," said Hermione trying and failing to hide her laughter. "So far from your descriptions I'm not sure I want to know what you thought of me the first time we met."

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

** "Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

** "Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

** "All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Good thinking pup," said Sirius in a very serious tone. "It should be a crime to waste bacon."

"Hear, hear" cried Remus, James, Ron, Harry, and Neville.

Meanwhile over the other side of the room Regulus was whispering to Snape "Merlin save me, are we going to be hearing about these filthy Muggles all day. I think I would rather have the Crucio curse placed on me."

"I'm hungry now" moaned Ron

"Ronald you have been here for an hour and a half," said Hermione. "We ate before we came, you can't possibly be hungry."

"Technically I haven't eaten for 22 years, and I'm hungry."

"We'll eat at noon Mr Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. "I am sure you can wait."

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another ****_two _****presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? ****_Two_**

**more presents. Is that all right?"**

"Well we can see why that child is so poisonous," said McGonagall "he's clearly never been disciplined in his life."

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally**

**he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty . . . thirty . . ."**

"Thirty Nine!" Snape sneered. "I wasn't aware it was possible to be that thick."

"For the first, and hopefully the last. I'm with Snape on this one," agreed James. Both boys looked equally repulsed at having thought the same thing.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel.**

**"All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled."Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"Atta a boy," repeated Lily, "how could they condone that little brats actions."

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch**

"he can actually tell the time," said Snape clearly in shock

**when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's **

"Would that be Arabella Figg," Questioned Mcgonagall.

"It is a possibility," replied Dumbledore. "I doubt I would leave Harry there without someone to let me know how he's getting on."

"It's Arabella," confirmed Harry with a nod of his head.

**broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's 's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants,or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbies, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"Harry," Lily reprimanded.

"Sorry can't take it back now," said Harry.

"Oh I, erm… was talking to the book version of you," flushed Lily.

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"He has a name," shouted James. "You should try and use it. It's not hard to say."

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry,**

"Why Not, I would," said Sirius.

**but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, ". . . and leave him in the car. . . ."**

"That's dangerous that could kill someone in warm weather," Hermione shouted.

**"That cars new, he's not sitting in it alone. . . ."Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him any-thing he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

Everyone burst out laughing. "Oh god that is the worst nickname ever," Sirius said through his tears.

"Here I was thinking they were cruel to you Harry," laughed Ron.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

**"I . . . don't . . . want . . . him . . . t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mothers then, the doorbell rang — **

**"Oh, good Lord, they're here!"said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. **

"He sounds like Malfoy," said Ron.

"Malfoy, as in Lucius Malfoy," asked Regulus, finally something of interest had been said, he was worried in case any of his family were implemented, and he knew his cousin Narcissa had recently married Lucius.

"No," said Harry facing Regulus. "His son, Draco. Although they do look alike so we could call Lucius a rat as well, he does after all play the part well."

Regulus Just scowled and turned away, by the sounds of that things definitely didn't look good for his cousin and her new husband.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"What a monster," snarled Lily.

**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly . . ."But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen**.

"Awesome," said Sirius. "Is this where we get to see pup do accidental magic?"

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the hairdressers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he ****_couldn't _****explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"Maybe harry couldn't, but petunia knew fine well what it was, she'd seen me do it enough times. Just because she hates me there is no reason to take it out on my son," vented Lily.

Harry, Hermione and Ron just looked at each other, she is going to be thrilled when she finds out Snape made his life living hell for six years then all because he hated James.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls).**

"Sounds lovely I don't know why you wouldn't want to wear it," Alice said in her usual sarcastic tone.

"You know they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," commented Snape

"They also say Massage into scalp, rinse and repeat," retorted Alice.

All of the marauders in the room and Frank all burst into laughter, even the time travellers found it hard to keep a smile off their faces. Snape may have made great sacrifices in his life but one of them most certainly wasn't trading money for shampoo.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"Lucky escape by the sounds of it kiddo," said James

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do(as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big rubbish bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council,Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects**

"Do think he likes to complain about Harry," Remus asked

"You know Moony I think he does," replied Sirius.

**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

**". . . roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said,as a motorcycle overtook them.**

**"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

"ahh rookie move pup," said Sirius shaking his head. "You're in for it now."

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

"Actually, they do, you fat twa-erp," Said Sirius seeing the look on McGonagalls face and changing his choice of word.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

**"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

"Well he is prong's kid," said Moony "So the chances of that happening are pretty high."

"Hey," protested James. "My Ideas aren't dangerous, I like to think of them as daring."

"I like to think of them as stupid," said Lily. "Harry, please tell me you are more sensible than this joker here."

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

"And Harrys descriptions are back with a vengeance," snorted Ron.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish he felt, afterwards that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous on the glass,** **but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glasssmartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**_It winked._**

"Okay that's weird," commented James.

However Snape, Regulus and Dunbledore had all shifted at the mention of this they were glancing between Harry and the book with shrewd looks on their faces. Is it possible that Harry is a Parcelmouth, thought Regulus. That gift is normally a sign of a Slytherin descendent, but surely someone related to Slytherin wouldn't want to defeat the Dark Lord, they would want to help him.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley,then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:"****_I get that all the time._**"

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."The snake nodded vigorously.**

"You're a Parcrelmouth," shouted James. "But… But that's normally a sign of a dark wizard."

"Yes. I forgot to mention, the reason I want Voldemort defeated is so I can take over the wizarding world myself," replied Harry dryly. Even though it had been eight years ago he was still rather touchy about how the whole school thought him the next Dark Lord when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. "Just because it is a sign of a dark wizard doesn't mean every wizard who can do it is dark."

"I, yeah I know, it was just a shock that's all," said James looking ashamed of his outburst. "It doesn't change anything, you're still my son. It wouldn't change how much I love you at all."

"It's okay," sighed Harry. "You'll understand my reaction come the next book."

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?" As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. **

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T ****_BELIEVE _****WHAT IT'S DOING!"Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass,the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor'stank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly,slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come. . . . Thanksss, amigo."**

"Even the Snake has more manners than them animals you live with," said Alice.

"That doesn't take very much," said Frank.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock."But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

"Into none-being which is to say everything," said Harry smiling.

"Very well thought out Mr Potter," replied Professor McGonagall. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Harry smiled back at her "I know you couldn't," he thought to himself.

Hermione was looking at it like he had just turned into a leprechaun, that was a very un-Harry thing for him to say, and Ron was starting to wonder if all their time spent with Hermione was starting to rub off on him.

"It's bad enough having a "know it all" girlfriend, please don't let my best mate be one as well," He said to himself.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong,sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Oh great" sighed James "That peace of Vermin had to go and rat him out didn't he. Suck up"

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some 'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years,**

"Oh Harry," sniffed Lily. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Harry said looking up to meet his mothers eyes.

"I know, but you shouldn't have had to live like that. It's not fair."

"He won't have to this time round," injected James. "We'll change this, and Professor I don't care what you say," added James turning to face the headmaster. "I am making it known now if anything happens to us, Harry goes to Sirius. No questions asked."

"I am sure there is a reason why I wouldn't have allowed Sirius to take Harry," replied Dumbledore

"There was, although I would rather have taken the chances and went to live with Sirius anyway. Nobody should have to be raised like that." said Harry

**as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

Lily gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. "You remember that, you remember the killing curse."

Harry Just nodded and half smiled half grimaced at his mother.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask were no photographs of them in the house.**

"Did you even know our names?" asked Lily.

"Not until I got to Hogwarts no."

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley.**

"Dedalus Diggle No doubt," said Professor Mcgonagall in a disapproving tone. "He has the subtly of an angry dragon that one."

**After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

"Were they actually just apparating to see you? I mean it's kind of strange," said Hermione "We know that nobody for miles was a witch or wizard where you live, so why would they be there and then just disapparate once they've seen you. That's the only explanation."

"I never thought about it like that, it was so long ago. Now you mention it though. They could have been."

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang**.

Hermione gave Harry a sad little smile and said; "I had no friends before Hogwarts either. It gets a bit lonely doesn't it? I think that's why I liked reading so much. I could just disappear to a whole different world for hours at a time. "

"Well as it is closing in to dinner time, we shall do one more chapter and then decide where we are going to eat agreed," said Dumbledore speaking to the group at a large. "well that's that, Harry I believe it is your turn to read now."

Harry picked up the book and settled back in to the sofa.


	5. Letters From No One

I do not own Harry Potter, everything you see in bold and all the characters you recognise are the property of the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Harry smiled at seeing the chapter title and read aloud** "Letters from no one"**

"How do you get letters from no one?" asked Neville.

"You'll see," smiled Harry.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started **

"When is Dudleys Birthday?" asked lily in a dangerous voice.

"June," replied Harry. "I think I was in there for about a month."

**and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked downold Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis,Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley wasthe biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest ofthem were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: HarryHunting.**

"Vile little brat," muttered lily.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of thehouse, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September camehe would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time inhis life, he wouldn't be with Dudley**.

"Too right you won't," cheered James, Sirius and Remus. Who then went on to sing the Hogwarts song.

"Thank you boys," said professor Dumbledore. "As wonderful as your singing voices as shall we carry on reading." He looked over to Harry indicating for him to continue.

**Dudley had been accepted atUncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to StonewallHigh**

"Over my dead body," said James.

"erm James mate," said Sirius. "You were here for the first chapter of the book eh?"

"Oh shut it you, you know what I mean. Harry is going to Hogwarts come Hell or high water."

"And a little tact would be nice Sirius," snapped Lily, throwing a cushion at his face

Sirius Just held up his hands in surrender and fell back into his newly cushioned chair. First Moony and now Lils if he kept this up he'd end up with all the cushions in the room.

**the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anythingas horrible as your head down it — it might be sick."**

The whole room burst into laughter.

"You got your mothers cheek then," said James looking over to where Harry sat

"That was excellent," laughed Sirius

**Then he ran,before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

"Still probably hasn't to this day, by the sounds of him," said Frank.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buyhis Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figgwasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg trippingover one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them asbefore. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for thefamily in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroontailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters.**

"I do love our plain black uniform," said Alice. "That sounds like a serious fashion emergency. Is that really how muggles dress?"

"No," Said Lily. "That sounds atrocious."

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other whilethe teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

Both of the professors just looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. There was no need to comment they were both thinking the exact same thing.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,**

"How many nicknames does she have for this kid?Dinky Diddydums and now this," said Sirius. "No offence Harry," he said looking over to meet his God sons eyes. "But I think I'd rather take the cupboard."

** he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

Everyone in the room was showing no such restraint.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning whenHarry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a largemetal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full ofwhat looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as theyalways did if he dared to ask a question.**

**"Your new school uniform," she looked in the bowl again.**

** "Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

**"**Yes definitely Lilys cheek," James repeated with a smile. Earning him smack on the arm

**"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"It's called sarcasm you bint," said Sirius ignoring the stern look of his professors, "or is that another thing you don't understand."

**"I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished." **

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

"You would still look better than that lump," Said Hermione.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the mail, Dudley,"**

"Their actually making him gets off his fat backside for once," said Lily. "Will wonders never cease."

** said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

**"Make Harry get it."**

**"Get the mail, Harry."**

"ah there it is," sighed Lily

**Make Dudley get it."**

**"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry. Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, **

"Why doesn't that surprise me," said Hermione.

**So he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**The Cupboard under the Stairs**

**4 Privet Drive**

**Little Whinging**

**Surrey**

"Could this be what I think it its?" asked James

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, **

"wooo," cheered the gryffindors of the room.

**an eagle,**

"The brainiest and the best," declared Frank

** a badger, and a snake **

Everyone turned to look at the two Slytherins in the room

"We may have house pride but unlike the rest of the people in here we also have some dignity," sneered Regulus.

**Surrounding a large letter H.**

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen.**

**"What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"I fail to see how that's funny," said Alice. "Is it a muggle thing."

"No," said Hermione, "well letter bombs are but the joke in itself wasn't funny either way."

"So the guy looks like an overweight walrus has no imagination, no personality and a terrible temperament. Well isn't Petunia a lucky duck," commented Alice

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter**.

"Oh Harry," sighed Hermione you know what their like why didn't open it in the hall. It's obvious what's going to happen next"

"They're going to take it off you aren't they?" asked Lily

"Don't worry I get it in the end, and it was so much cooler that way too. I would rather have gone to get my school supplies with this person than with the Dursleys, Not that they would have agreed to take me anyway. "

**Hehanded Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, andslowly began to open the yellow envelope.** **Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk . . ."**

"Isn't that the one you blew up," whispered Ron. Harry smirked at the memory and nodded his confirmation.

**"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"Called it," said Hermione with a smug smile.

"Yes because it wasn't obvious remember," replied Harry.

**"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

**"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.**

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped**

"And the award for best over reaction goes to," said Alice in her best commentators voice.

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

**"Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

"And there goes the best drama performance."

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

**"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

**"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

**"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

**"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted**

"Seems he also has Lilys temper," said Sirius which just earned him another cushion to the face. His chair was getting comfier and comfier by the chapter.

**"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"It's a wonder the little brat hasn't keeled over yet from the shock of being refused something," said Lily in disgust.

**"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?" **

**"Watching — spying — might be following us,"**

"Yes because of course Wizards don't have better things to do than watch the likes of you," Sneered Snape.

He was getting bored of hearing about the Dursleys. He had always hated Petunia and it seemed she didn't change at all in the future. Not to mention he was anxious to find out about his role in all of this. He planned on taking the mark at the end of the year surely if these time travellers hadn't come that wouldn't have changed. Would the headmaster find out about him being a death eater? How would Lily react he was certain there was no way back to friendship if she found out he had joined up. What would happen if they did find out? Expulsion? Certainly. Azkaban? most likely, but they had said he'd helped destroy the Dark Lord. So surely in their minds this made him one of the good guys. His mind was awhirl with questions and worry. He needed to find out and all this useless prattling on about the Dursleys was just annoying him.

Next to him he could see Regulus feigning boredom but he could tell when their eyes met he was just as worried about their fate as he was. Yes they agreed with and wished to follow the dark lord, but they were so young, they didn't want to go to Azkaban for it.

**muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

**"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer. . . . Yes, that's best . . . we won't do anything. . . ."**

**"But —"**

**"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

At this Dumbledore's head shot up, and he turned towards Harry.

"They never beat me sir, nothing like that."

The headmaster gave the time traveller a piercing look, and wondered. Did he know about Arianna? If so what else about his passed did he know? How many of his and other people secrets were revealed in these books. For a moment he wanted to be selfish, he wanted to stop the reading all together. But he knew that he couldn't, he knew people's lives must come before his own pride. He'd already made that mistake once, and he'd paid dearly for it, he wouldn't do it again, not when the boy in front of him and maybe even the other three had lost so much. He just hoped that if and when his secrets did come out his college and friend and also his students would find it in themselves to forgive him.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"He actually fit?" asked Remus with a look of disbelief.

"No it was mostly just his head, and even then it was a struggle," answered Harry

**"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

**"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

**"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

**"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling.**

"Did you have to mention that Harry," moaned Ron. Not even a whole year camping had gotten him over his fear of spiders.

** He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

** "Er — yes, Harry — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking . . . you're really getting a bit big for it . . . we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

"Wooo Room upgrade!" shouted Sirius.

"About bloody time too," said James. "I still can't believe that overgrown tub of lard made my son sleep in a cupboard."

**"Why?" said Harry.**

**"Don't ask questions!"**

"For once Harry I'm going to agree with him," said Lily "don't question it take it and run."

"I wanted my letter," said Harry, "at that moment I would have given anything to have seen that letter. I knew from their reactions it was something important."

**Snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom.**

"Can't believe this whole time they had a bedroom you could use and they still made you sleep in a fucking cupboard!" exclaimed James

"Language Mr. Potter," reprimanded Professor McGonagall.

"I'm sorry Professor, but how would you feel if it was your son that they were treating like that."

"Be that as it may, there is no need for you to forget you're manners."

"I didn't forget them, they just don't deserve them," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that Mr. Potter," asked McGongall her steely look going up a notch.

"Nothing Professor," James answered with a fixed smile.

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbour's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite program had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there . . . I need that room . . . make him get out. . . ." **

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.**

"And just when you think you couldn't love the kid anymore," said Alice rolling her eyes.

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive —' " With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind**

"And here I was thinking you were my knight in shining armour when you did that to the troll, it seems like you were well practiced," said Hermione leaning over Ron so she could whisper it to Harry

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

**"Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley — go — just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

Hermione and Ron both snorted they knew for a fact it wouldn't work none of their plans ever did and that was with the help of Hermione's intelligence and Rons strategy skills, they were definitely more the jump right in and hope for the best type.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door — "AAAAARRRGH!"**

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something alive ! Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

"Oh well look at the bright side," said Sirius trying and failing to hide his amusement. "You might not have gotten your letter but you got to walk on Dursleys face and that can never be a bad thing."

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters ad- dressed in green ink. "I want —" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

"Do you think the fat idiot is ever going to realise that they're not going to give up until he gets his letter," asked Regulus.

Really how stupid were Muggles. If these books were supposed to make him rethink his allegiance they weren't doing a good job of it yet.

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

**"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails,**

**"if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

**"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

**"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,"**

"Let see I wonder who knows more about this. The one with a witch for a sister or the fat bigoted idiot," said Lily.

"And of course our minds don't work like his," said Remus "for a start we have brains."

"What I don't get is," said Sirius.

"most things?" finished James.

"No. What I don't get is that they now know he sleeps in one of the bedrooms. Why not just get an owl to deliver it there away from everyone else?"

"As fair as your point is Mr. Black," replied Dumbledore. "The parents or guardians of a Muggleborn child, or in Harrys case a child that has grew up in a Muggle dwelling, need to also be informed of where the child is going and what the school is about. For Muggleborn children, we normally send someone from the school to inform the Muggle parents and the child of what they are, what they can do, and that there's a school for them to learn how to control their powers. In Harry's case we assumed, wrongly so it seems, that Petunia would have explained all about Harrys parents and what they were." He then motioned for Harry to carry on reading.

**said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises. **

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While**

**Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

**"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement **

"Well if the over grown idiot would give him his letter he would know wouldn't he Duddykins," said Sirius.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

**"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today —"**

"Sorry fatty, Wizards don't play by the rules," said Alice with a grin

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one —**

**"Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

"That sounds so cool it almost makes me wish I didn't get my letter straight away," said Ron.

**"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag**.

A few people snorted at this they still couldn't believe that anyone could be so bratty.

** They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake 'em off . . . shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he**

**did this.**

"It's not going to work," sang Alice.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer. Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering. . . . They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. **

**"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**Room 17**

**Railview Hotel**

**Cokeworth**

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

**"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?"**

"Sorry Diddydums your dad already was mad to start with, he married horse face after all," said James. All the teenagers sniggered at this even Lily's lips turned up in a slight smile although she was still upset that her sister could treat her son like this all out of jealousy and spite.

**Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

**"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

"What," shrieked Lily

"Come on lils, I'm angry too but did you really expect anything more," replied James while stroking her wrist.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

"Nope, just three hundred and sixty five of them," said Sirius with a winning smile.

Hermione looked to Sirius and then over to Remus; "Has he always been like this?"

"Unfortunately," he said. "We tried to get rid of him but he wouldn't leave us alone, he even followed James home last summer."

"Hey," shouted Sirius clutching his hand to his heart in mock hurt. "You know your life would be boring without me."

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

**"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

**"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

**"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of crisps each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shrivelled up.**

**"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.**

**Harry privately agreed,**

"Don't worry pup Professor McGonagall doesn't give up that easily, trust me I know," said Sirius smirking at all the times she had caught him doing something he shouldn't have.

**though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. **

**Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

"I can't decide if that's really pessimistic or you know, just trying to see the bright side of things," said Sirius cocking his head to the side like a confused dog.

"Well that thought depressed me so I'm going to go with pessimistic," said Lily. "Although look who he lives with, you can't blame him."

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet**

**Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds . . . twenty . . . ten . . . nine — maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him **

"do it," egged on James.

**— three . . . two . . . one . . .**

"Happy Birthday, Harry," chorused the occupants of the room minus the Slytherins of course.

"urm guys, not my birthday," said Harry.

"Oh shut up, you know where talking to book you," said Ron laughing.

"Harry, when is your Birthday?" asked Lily.

"31st July," replied Harry "So a bit to go yet."

"Wow 20 our sons going to be 20, our son is going to be 20, and I'm 17 that thought does not get any less strange."

"Well technically I might not make it to 20, if you guys agree to change the future events we'll be wiped out along with everything that has happened, and you won't see us again until we're born."

**BOOM.**

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"O oh someone's coming to get you," sang Alice. "I wonder who it is."

"It was professor McGonagall for me," said Lily

"and me," added Hermione.

"So Harry who was it?" asked Frank.

"I'm not telling, you'll have to wait and see. But that was the end of the chapter and so now it's dinner time, think you can wait that long Frank?"

* * *

A.N I have now nearly finished writing the whole of the first book and will probably be starting on the second some time today or tomorrow so you should be able to expect the chapters to keep coming one a day for the moment.

Thanks to everyone who has read so far.


	6. Lunch

I do not own Harry Potter every thing you see in bold is not mine and all characters you recognise belong to J.K.R even Sirius. :(

* * *

"As Harry was saying it's time for lunch Professor McGonagall and I need to be at the Great Hall. If any of you would like to stay here, and get to know our guests you are free to do so. I'll send a house elf along who can bring you your lunch."

"I'm staying," said lily looking over longingly at her future son, she wanted the chance to talk to him, find out all she could about him.

"Me too," said Alice who was looking at Neville with a similar look in her eye.

"Me three." said James.

"Me Four," said Sirius.

"Count me in," said Remus.

"I'll be staying of course," said Frank, giving his son a smile and a nod.

The Slytherins however were definitely not going to stay.

"How long until we have to be back here?" asked Regulus. He was getting really bored, and contemplating not coming back at all, and having his memory of what he had heard modified, but his curiosity about where he came into this story got the better of him.

"I should say within the hour if the two of you could be back here before half one please," replied Dumbledore. They gave a small curt nod and headed out the room.

The others made their way to the dining room that had suddenly appeared to the right of the reading room.

"This place really is amazing," said Sirius. "And it can turn into any kind of room you ask for?" he asked turning to Neville.

"Yeah pretty much, it can give you anything you want. apart from food as far as I'm aware. I spent a lot of time in here at one point, slept here and everything."

"How come?" asked Frank. "I know, I know, we'll find out." He said with a sigh.

"Oh Merlin don't tell the girls of Hogwarts they'll be slipping love potions into Sirius's drink and dragging him up here, you know by ignoring them you make them want you even more?" said Lily

"That's not my fault," said Sirius. "If I've told them once I've told them a thousand times I don't do relationships, I'm too busy having fun with my mates."

"It's pathetic you should see them all," said Lily to Hermione "and I don't have a clue why, he's an absolute idiot, but apparently and I quote all girls like a rebel bad boy," finished lily shaking her head

"Awe Lils you love me really," said Sirius giving her a playful smile

"I suppose I'll have too if I'm going to marry this clown and give birth to your God son," smiled Lily

Soon enough the food had been sent up and they all settled into a fantastic lunch, Harry didn't care how long it had been, and how many other places he had ate at nothing would compare to Hogwarts food.

"Merlin I've missed this food," said Ron echoing Harry's thoughts while swallowing his potatoes.

The group chatted as a whole while enjoying their lunch and soon they were sharing stories, (well those that probably wouldn't make it into the book in the time travellers cases.) and laughing and getting to know each other.

Harry couldn't remember when he'd last felt this happy, or if he'd ever felt this happy, He was doing the most mundane thing of having lunch with his parents, yet this was as far from normal as you could get. Still he found he didn't care. He listened to every detail his parents said, laughed until tears were in his eyes at the antics of his father and God father, while his mother looked on trying her hardest not to laugh along with him. He felt a wave of sadness when he heard Remus talking about one of the pranks they had pulled on Filch. While in the future Sirius had still retained at least some of his recklessness and youthful spirit, Lupin had matured a lot at the loss of his friends. He was still far more mature than the other two marauders but he could certainly see how he came to be friends them, and he seemed to nearly always be involved in the pranks but as Sirius said he was just better at feigning innocence and getting away with it then they were. Harry tried to hide his anger whenever Wormtail was mentioned and hoped it had worked. Well they didn't question why he wasn't here again so maybe it had.

That got him wondering though, how would his father react when it was thought that Sirius was the one that betrayed him. He couldn't tell them any important information until it was revealed in the book. And even more worrying, is what he would do when he found out Wormtail _had_ betrayed them and then framed Sirius for it.

After the lunch Harry called Lupin over to a secluded corner so he could talk to him about his "fury little problem" and let him know that should the full moon fall while reading these books, they had a solution. Pulling the sealed flask out of his bag he handed it over to him and explained; "This is called the Wolfsbane potion, it hasn't been invented in your time. But in my time it has," Harry began "If you take this every day the week before the full moon you'll still transform, but you'll keep your human mind. It'll allow you to curl up and sleep away your time as a wolf. I wasn't sure if we'd fall on a full moon or not. McGonagall timed it so we would come just after the last one, but we don't know how long the reading's gonna take." Remus just looked at Harry, his eyes wide clearly lost for words. "If the reading does fall on a full moon we'll request the room to provide us with a separate room, which you can use to transform and sleep in."

"What if it goes wrong, what if it doesn't work? I'll be putting everyone in danger by staying in here." said Remus.

"It works. You've taken it yourself in the future."

"Thank you Harry. Thank you so much for thinking of bringing it."

"It's nothing don't thank me, with my parents gone in the future you and Sirius come to mean a lot to me. I could never thank you enough for all the times you helped me out."

"James, you have a truly remarkable son," declared Remus, as James and Sirius made their way over to the two of them. He began explaining the Wolfsbane potion with the happiness and excitement at having something so close to a cure evident in his voice.

The four of them made their way back into the reading room, where Neville was sitting with his parents talking to his mum about Herbology. Harry didn't think he had ever seen Neville so happy before. Hermione was talking to Lily about their favourite subjects at Hogwarts, and favourite pieces of literature. While Ron was still eating some treacle tart that he'd brought back through form the dining room with him, when the teachers and two Slytherin students walked back in the room.

"Mr Longbottom," called Dumbledore. "Neville Longbottom," he said when both Frank and Neville had turned to his attention "I believe it is your turn to read now."

"Yes Professor," He said going back to his previous seat and turning to the right page, once everyone was settled in their places around the room he began to read.

* * *

A.N Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far it's really good to hear your feed back and to hear you're enjoying this.

Also if you guys aren't following Mugglehustle on twitter get on it, basically a 25 yr old is reading the books for the first time, and he knows nothing about what happens so he live tweets his reactions while reading. It's rather hilarious.


	7. keeper of the Keys

I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form, if I was that much of a literary genius I wouldn't be this poor.

* * *

"This chapter is called **The Keeper of the keys," **read Neville

**BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

**"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands**

"What's a Rifle?" asked Sirius

"It's a Muggle weapon," answered Hermione. "It's used to kill or seriously injure people."

**— Now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

**"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then —**

**SMASH!**

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor. A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was al- most completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

"Woo Hagrid" Cried the room at large.

"There you go Frank, there's your answer," said Harry.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm out- side dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey. . . ."**

The room rang with laughter.

"Typical Hagrid," laughed Ron

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

**"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger. Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant. Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mam's eyes."**

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

**"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber,**

"You show 'em Hagrid," shouted Sirius.

**And threw it into a corner of the room. Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

**"Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with**

**Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

"That's nice of him, I' glad someone got you something," said Lily smiling.

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"**

The occupants of the room chuckled

**The giant chuckled.**

**"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

**"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

"Typical Hagrid," said Ron again

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. **

"I thought Hagrid wasn't allowed to do magic," said Lily

"I am sure I would have allowed him to do some to go and pick Harry up," replied Dumbledore.

"Do you have the authority to do that sir?" asked Lily

"Of course he does he's Dumbledore, nobody disagrees with Dumbledore and even when they do he ignores them," said James proudly.

Regulus gave a snort of derision but refrained from commenting.

**It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. **

"I wouldn't eat them if I were you Harry, as awesome as Hagrid is his cooking leaves much to be desired," said Remus.

"They actually weren't bad, although that might have been because I all I had to eat that day was a banana and some crisps," replied Harry

**Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley." **

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

** "Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

The room laughed again.

"It feels so good finally seeing the Dursleys getting a little of what they deserve," said James with a satisfied smirk on his face.

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

**"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh,**

**I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**

**"Er — no," said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

**"Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

**"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

**"All what?" asked Harry.**

**"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

"If I cared I would actually feel sorry for the Dursleys Hagrid can be scary when he's angry," said Sirius.

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

**"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"**

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

**"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

The people in the room chuckled

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

**"What world?"**

"He's not really explaining this well to you is he Harry," said Hermione. "It was confusing enough for me and I had Professor McGonagall explaining things to me."

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

**"DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

**"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."**

**"What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

**"Yeh don' know . . . yeh don' know . . ." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

**"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

**"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it,**

**Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

**"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

**"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

**"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry — yer a wizard."**

"Well that was blunt and to the point," said Sirius. "No need to beat around the bush Hagrid, don't break the news gently or anything."

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

**"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.**

The people in the room chuckled again.

"I bet that was a bit of a shock," said Neville

"Yeah just a bit," replied Harry. "I thought wizards were just things from children's stories I had no idea they were real. If I didn't know better I would of thought the Dursleys had set it all up as a joke."

**"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor,**

** Hut-on-the-Rock, **

**The Sea. **

**He pulled out the letter and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,**

**Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall,**

**Deputy Headmistress**

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"What do you think it means," sneered Regulus.

"Well I know now," replied harry "but back then I didn't have a clue, Muggles don't send letters via owls."

**"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl — a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**

**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**

**Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**

**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**

**Hagrid**

"How on earth did you read his writing upside down it's hard enough reading it the right way round," asked James.

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm.**

**Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

"That's because it is," said Snape, with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes, well Harry didn't know that, did he," snapped Lily. This had been the first time since they had been here that lily had spoken to him, and at the tone of her voice Severus wished he hadn't said anything to begin with. It turned out insulting her son was not the way to go to get their friendship back on track.

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

**"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

**"He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted.**

**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

**"A what?" said Harry, interested.**

** "A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

**"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

**"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a — a wizard?"**

**"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly.**

**"Oh here we go," sighed Lily. "Let's here all about how I'm a freak."**

**"Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. **

"Frog spawn?" repeated Lily I am pretty sure I have never came home with frog spawn in my pockets.

**I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! **

"Oh was that before or after you wrote to Dumbledore begging to come here as well?" snapped Lily

**But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

**"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —abnormal — and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

Everyone in the room winced at the lack of tact and consideration Petunia had when breaking the news of his parents real death to him.

"How horrible," said Hermione. "You shouldn't have found out like that."

"Do you expect anything different from them," asked Harry with raised eyebrows

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

**"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

** "But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

"That must have been awkward for Hagrid," said Alice. The people in the room nodded in agreement.

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

**"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if**

**I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

**"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it. . . ."**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**

**"Who?"**

**"Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

**"Why not?"**

**"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went . . . bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was . . ."**

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

**"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

**"Nah — can't spell it. **

The people in the room chuckled quietly, but didn't say anything, all eager to try and find out more information about their friends deaths.

**All right —Voldemort." Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches . . . terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**

** "Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before . . . probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

"Yeah and we know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. We wouldn't go around killing people just for fun," said James, shooting a look towards the two Slytherins in the room.

"I wasn't aware I had made an attempt on anyones life," sneered Snape "I wonder can the same be said for everyone in the room," he finished looking towards the three marauders

**"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em . . . maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"**

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

**"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anyway . . .**

"Thank you Hagrid," said Lily

**"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, **

The people in the room gasped

"Not Marlene she's a couple years older than us. She's so lovely," said Alice.

"She was in the same year as me," said Frank "she's an excellent which."

**The Bones,**

"Oh no," moaned Lily.

** The Prewetts —**

"Not Gideon and Fabien, I taught them myself such talented boys," said McGonagall in a shaky voice

** An' you was only a baby, an' you lived." **

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green**

Lily let out a small whimper. It wasn't fair that her baby had to remember this.

**Light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

James gasped. "You remembered V-Vol…Him."

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

**"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot . . ."**

**"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

**"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured — **

James and Lily growled.

**And as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion **

"how dare he say something like that," screeched Hermione "I don't care how much you don't like someone you should never wish them dead or be glad that they are, what an evil animal he is."

**— asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —"**

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a bat- tered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle**

**Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word . . ."**

"Go on Hagrid give it to him," shouted Sirius as if he was watching a particularly exciting Quiddich match.

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

** "That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back**

"Shame I was hoping he would have to at least one good hex in," said Sirius.

**Down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor. Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

**"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know- Who?"**

**"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see . . . he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?**

**"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances.**

"Imperius curse," said Remus.

"yeah but how many were faking," said James.

"I don't think there is any way of telling," replied Remus.

** Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**

**"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on —**

**I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. **

"Oh Harry you really are a total pessimist aren't you," chuckled Hermione

"Well look who brought me up can you really blame me."

**A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? **

"If only it work like that kiddo," said James laughing slightly.

**If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

**Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

**"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it . . . every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry . . . chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach . . . dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back . . . and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realising he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

The room laughed at the pleasant memory from earlier.

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

**"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

**"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands**

**and —"**

**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad.**

"You tell him Hagrid," shouted James.

** His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.**

**Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled—"**

** "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

"OH Bad move Dursley now you're in for it," said Sirius with a wicked grin on his face. "I might get to see a hex after all."

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"**

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

The whole room roared with laughter.

"Nice one Hagrid, Oh I hope he keeps him that way as well," said Sirius.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

The people in the room laughed again.

"Well considering Hagrid was expelled in his third year, I would say that was a fine attempt at human transfiguration for an unqualified wizard," said professor McGonagall not even bothering to hide he smile.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'.**

**I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job —"**

**"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

**"Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got ex- pelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

** "Why were you expelled?"**

"Does anyone know why Hagrid was expelled, well apart from the teachers?" asked Frank.

"We do," said Harry. "So I'm sure you guys will find out come the next book."

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

**"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

The people in the room laughed again.

"Why would he have dormice in his pocket?" asked Lily

"It's Hagrid," replied Alice as if that settled matters.

"well that's the end of the chapter," said Neville handing the book over to Remus.


	8. Diagon Alley

I do not own Harry Potter Everything you see in bold and all the character belongs too J.K.R

* * *

Remus took the book from Neville "This chapter is called **Diagon Alley."**

"This should be a good chapter," said Lily "We'll get to see you get your wand and everything."

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."**

"Not a dream pup, you're finally getting out of the hell hole," said Sirius smiling

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

"Wow Harry, I hope you get a bit more optimistic, you're really starting to depress me," said Alice in a light hearted voice.

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

**"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up." He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight , the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

**"Don't do that."**

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

**"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl —"**

**"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

**"What?"**

**"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing**

**But pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags . . . finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

**"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

"How is he supposed to know what Knuts are Hagrid," said Lily is a slightly annoyed tone.

"At least it's a good way for his to learn," said Frank.

**"Knuts?"**

**"The little bronze ones."**

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

**"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them.**

**He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

"You really do have the strangest way of describing things Harry," chuckled Neville.

** "Um — Hagrid?"**

**"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

**"I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night . . . he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

"We'll have left you some money don't worry kiddo," said James

**"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

**"But if their house was destroyed —"**

"Why would they keep their gold in their house? You really weren't the brightest kid on the block were you?" said Regulus giving Harry a thoroughly un impressed look. How they hell did someone this stupid manage to destroy the Dark Lord.

**"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

**"Wizards have banks?"**

"Why is that so shocking?" asked Frank

"I was a little shocked too," said Hermione. "it just seems so boring, I mean you've just found out wizards are real you wouldn't think they would have something as normal as a bank."

"I guess that makes sense," said frank nodding his head.

**"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

**"Goblins?"**

**"I guess finding out Goblins were real was a shock to huh?" asked Alice. **

**Harry chuckled and nodded his head. "yeah," he said. **

**"Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that.**

**Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly.**

Dumbledore chuckled at hearing about Hagrid antics, and his blue eyes twinkled.

**"He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see.**

**"Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

**"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

** "Flew," said Hagrid.**

"Flew?" said James "I wonder what on A broom couldn't hold him."

"I should think one of the school Thestrals," said Dumbledore. "they can carry heavy loads quite easily."

**"Flew?"**

**"Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

**"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

**"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

**"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.**

Harry Ron and Hermione all looked at each other and grinned. Luckily nobody else in the room had noticed this.

**"Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons' guardin' the high-security vaults.**

"Is that true?" asked Lily

"Yes," said James, Sirius and Regulus.

** And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet.**

**Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

**"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

**"There's a Ministry of Magic?" **

At the look he received from Regulus Harry said; "It was another one of them things where a ministry seemed way to boring to be magical."

**Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

**" 'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job.**

"Fudge, Isn't crouch inline to be the next minister though, that's who everyone seems to be talking about these days anyway," said Frank.

"You'll find out in the fourth book why he didn't get it," said Neville in a fierce voice that shocked the other people in the room.

** Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

**"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

**"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

**"Why?"**

"Because they would want us to use magic on everything for them, not to mention after all the persecution we went through with the witch burnings, we're better off left alone" said James.

Regulus couldn't help but be confused as to why people were against the dark lord, wasn't this what he is trying to do after all, why were the rest of them so blind that they couldn't see this.

**"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."**

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street. Passers-by stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry?**

**Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"**

"Oh Hagrid," chucked Lily.

**"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"**

**"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

**"You'd like one?"**

"Well he got his wish didn't he," said Ron under his breath.

**"Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

**"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

**"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**Uniform**

**First-year students will require:**

**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

"Does anyone ever actually where them," said Sirius. "I'm pretty sure I haven't worn mine since the first day."

**3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags **

**Course books**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)**

**by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic**

**by Bathilda Bagshot**

**Magical Theory**

**by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration**

**by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**

**by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions**

**by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them**

**by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection**

**by Quentin Trimble**

"Seems much doesn't change in the next thirteen years, the only different one is the new defence book," said Remus.

**Other equipment**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope**

**1 set brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

**"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.**

"Yep," said James with a smile

**"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the**

**Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

**"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?**

"Yep," said James again

** Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

**"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. **

"That's because they can't," said Regulus in an expatriated voice.

**In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. **

Everyone laughed that Harrys less than flattering descriptions again

"it might not be very flattering, but it's accurate," said Neville still laughing

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

** "Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

"Just a tip kiddo if Hagrid goes in for a hug or any other kinds of physical contact get out of the way sharpish," said James. "I don't think he realises his own strength."

"I wish someone had told me that earlier," said Harry with a laugh.

**"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be — ?"**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

**"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter . . . what an honour."**

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"Did stuff like that happen often?" asked Lily frowning

"Yeah pretty often, it gets annoying after a while," replied Harry.

"I bet it does,"

**"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

**"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

**"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

**"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."**

**"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

**"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

"What did I say," huffed Professor McGonagall.

**"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"**

**Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

**"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

**"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."**

"Well he sounds a bit pathetic doesn't he," said Frank "What does he teach."

"Defence," said Remus. "It's the next line."

"He teaches defence," replied Frank raising his eyebrows "We haven't always had the best Defence against the Dark Arts teachers but he just sounds terrible for the position."

"Isn't Quirell a few years below us? a Ravenclaw I think," said Lily

"oh yeah, he asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him one he didn't have a stutter then though," said Alice frowning.

**"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

**"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

"Well I bet the students are gonna learn loads this year," said Regulus sarcastically

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

**"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

**"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

**"Is he always that nervous?"**

**"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience. . . . They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — **

"I guess that explains a lot," said Sirius "Although if he is gonna be the D.A.D.A teacher you would think he would be able to handle vampires and hags, He wouldn't really fill the kids with much confidence would he."

**now, where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

**"Three up . . . two across . . ." he muttered. "Right, stand back,**

**Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

**"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

**"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. **

"I felt like that too," said Hermione.

"So did I," said Lily a little sadly. That should have been her and James taking Harry there for the first time. He would have known about Diagon Alley long before his 11th birthday if he had grown up with them.

**He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen**

**Sickles an ounce, they're mad.**

"Wow, prices have definitely gone up then," said Frank.

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it.**

** "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —" **

"Wow," said James "imagine how much brooms have improved over the years, Harry please tell me you learn about Quidditch soon and get on the house team in your second year."

"Nope, sorry, I don't try out for Quidditch," said Harry shaking his head.

**There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon. . . .**

**"Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

**"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and,**

**Harry noticed very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

**Enter, stranger, but take heed**

**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

**For those who take, but do not earn,**

**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

**So if you seek beneath our floors**

**A treasure that was never yours,**

**Thief, you have been warned, beware**

**Of finding more than treasure there.**

"I love that little poem," said Alice. "So cheerful, don't you think?"

**"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

**"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."**

**"You have his key, sir?"**

**"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblins book of numbers. **

"I bet they love that," said Remus with a laugh.

**The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

**"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key. The goblin looked at it closely.**

**"That seems to be in order."**

**"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said**

**Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

"Oh if Harry is anything like Lily there is no way he is letting that slide," said Alice with a grin towards he friend.

"and what is that supposed to mean," asked Lily

"You know what that's supposed to mean," laughed Alice. "too curious for your own good."

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

**"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

**"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.**

"There we go see," said Alice with nod towards Lily.

**"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages.**

**Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

**"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

"Stalactites are the conical deposits that form at the roof of the cave and hang downward while stalagmites are those that form on the bottom of the cave and grow upward as water drips down from above." Said Hermione

**"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," **

"I like Hagrids explanation better," laughed Ron earning him a smack on the arm from Hermione

**said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

**"All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

"They don't deserve any of your gold," said James. If they had treat you right they might have been entitled to some. But that's what they get for being cruel and abusive towards my son, not to mention by the sounds of it they didn't spend any money on Harry at all. And they were hardly out of pocket buying their ickle duddykins everything he wanted."

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

**"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver**

**Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

**"One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

"Harry do you have a death wish or something," said Lily "I'm almost glad I wasn't there I would have had a heart attack."

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

**"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

**"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

**"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

**"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. **

"I've always though Goblins were lovely creatures," said Alice

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.**

"Ooh I wonder what it can be," said Lily.

"And once again she proves my point," laughed Alice. "Oh and I'm gonna go for a wild stab in the dark and say that, that is our mysterious philosophers stone."

** Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

**"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid. **

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

**"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron?**

"He's just going to leave Harry alone," shrieked Lily

"I'm sure he'll be fine love," said James "I mean judging by way the Dursleys treat him he's learnt to take care of himself."

**I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous. Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

** "Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

"Oh you might meet your first friend," said Lily with a smile.

"I wouldn't hold your breath" whispered Harry to Ron.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

**"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands,"**

"Whys is his mother looking at wands, the wand chooses the wizard so what good is that going to do," said Frank

** said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

"Oh I take it back," said Lily. "He doesn't sound very nice at all."

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

**"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

**"No," said Harry.**

**"Play Quidditch at all?"**

**"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

James groaned at the reminder his son wouldn't know about Quidditch, and that he'd said he didn't even go on to play Quidditch.

**"I do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet?"**

**"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

**"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

"Rather Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Sirius.

** "Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

**"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

**"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

**"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

"What a revolting little horror," said Lily in disgust.

**"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

**"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage— lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

"Abhorrent brat," said Hermione.

**"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

**"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you?**

**Where are your parents?"**

**"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

**"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. **

"I am seriously liking this kid less and less," said Lily he temper flaring slightly

**"But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

"What does that matter, you little snot rag," said James.

**"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

**"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you?**

"what an abominable little twat," shot Sirius

"Mr. Black." Shrieked McGonagall

"I'm sorry miss but there are no polite words to describe him."

"Then perhaps it would be better if you refrained from speaking at all. We shall not be subjected to your vulgar language."

**They're just not the same; they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old**

**wizarding families.**

Regulus was trying to refrain himself from nodding in agreement, he didn't really fancy the punishment he would no doubt get from the rest of the room.

** What's your surname, anyway?"**

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"Shame I would have loved to have seen his reaction, "said James "no doubt his family will be V-Voldemort supporters.

**"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy. Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

**"What's up?" said Hagrid.**

**"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said,**

**"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

**"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

"Way to make him feel batter Hagrid," said Alice

**"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

**"— and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"**

**"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were — he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

**"So what is Quidditch?"**

**"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like football in the**

**Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

"No it's not" said James and Regulus at the same time

"You have three hoops….."

"Thank you James we don't need a Quidditch lesson right now," said Lily.

** "And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff ?"**

**"School Houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"**

**"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.**

**"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.**

"well that's not true," said Regulus indignantly "all the houses have had their fair share of Dark wizards."

"Oh yeah name a Dark Wizard from Gryffindor then," said James.

"Erm Dad," said Harry, James turned to look at him a little shocked at being addressed as dad but recovered quickly. "he's right, there have been dark wizards from all houses, trust me."

**You-Know-Who was one."**

"Why doesn't that surprise me," said Sirius.

**"Vol-, sorry — You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

**"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid. They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Counter- curses ( Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

**"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."**

The whole room rang with laughter.

**"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level." Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), **

"I'm glad someone was there to help you control your impulses," said Lily with a smile.

**but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.**

**Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

**"Just yer wand left — oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

**Harry felt himself go red.**

**"You don't have to —"**

**"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an'**

"Hey," said Neville in mock indignation

Harry Ron and Hermione all laughed

"I take it you had a toad then," asked Frank

"Yeah, evil thing he was," said Neville with fondness at the memory of his old pet.

**I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'." Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

"At least you pick up some manners from somewhere," said Lily "because I'm doubting you got them from them brutes you live with."

**"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand . . . this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

"That's what everyone looks forward too," said Sirius.

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 b.c. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

"Whose wand is that?" asked Lily.

"The rumours say that it's Merlin's whether or not that is true though I cannot say," said Dumbledore

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling.**

**For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

**"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

**"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

**"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

Lily pulled out her wand proudly and showed the room.

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

"Oh you thought so too," said Hermione. "He scared me a little."

**"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. **

James pulled his wand out as well.

**Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

**"And that's where . . ."**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"Awkward," sang Alice

**"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.**

**"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands . . . well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do. . . ." He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

**"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again. . . . Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

**"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

**"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

**"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

**"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

**"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

"Subtle Hagrid Very subtle," said Alice shaking her head.

**"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look.**

**"Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

**"Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.**

**"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, **

"I've never understood why it measures there," said Sirius

**was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

**"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beech- wood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

**"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"**

**Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

**"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

Hhow many wands did you try Harry?" asked Hermione

"I'm not sure I lost count somewhere in the twenties."

"Oh I tried 14 I was getting so worried, I thought maybe they had made a mistake and I wasn't a witch after all.

**"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."**

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers.**

**He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks **

"Gryffindor colours," shouted the Gryffindor's in the room.

Harry found himself suddenly dreading what they would say when they found out about the sorting hat wanting to put him in Slytherin he'd never told anyone that information before.

**shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried,**

**"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well . . . how curious . . . how very curious . . ."**

"What's curious," asked Lily.

"Well if you let me get to it, I'll tell you," said Remus. Then he shot her a winning smile.

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious . . . curious . . ."**

**"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

**"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother —**

**why, its brother gave you that scar."**

Dumbledore gave a slight smile at this, so the other wand Fawkes contributed to finally gets sold, and it is rather curious as to who it was sold.

"Harry's wand is Voldemorts brother," said Sirius. "That's either a major coincidence or there is something more going on here, and I don't believe in coincidences."

"Like what?" Lily asked, in a shrill voice.

"I don't know, do I look like an expert on wands or the dark arts, I just think it's strange how Harry gets that wand out all the thousands of wands that must be in Ollivanders. It's like the wand knows who Harry is, knows Harry defeated Voldemort."

"Maybe it's like good twin, evil twin," Said Alice.

**Harry swallowed.**

**"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. . . . I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. . . . After**

**all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."**

"How can he call what that monster has done great," shouted Lily

"Ouch Lily sensitive ears," said Remus massaging his ears. "and I think he means the magic behind his act would have taken a great deal of power, not that the acts in themselves are great."

"I should think not," said Lily.

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Ha- grid tapped him on the shoulder.**

**"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

"I noticed that too." said Hermione with a smile. "It's weird how your whole life has just been changed so dramatically yet everything else remains exactly the same."

**"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

**"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander . . . but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."**

Lily and James frowned at this and sent a pitying look in Harry's direction.

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eye- brows he wore a very kind smile.**

**"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard.**

**But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."**

**"Hagrid can be rather deep at times can't he," said James with a smile **

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.**

**"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me. . . . See yeh soon, Harry."**

"Erm Hagrid I think you've forgot to tell him one important detail," said Sirius.

"He didn't tell him how to get onto the platform," cried James

"It's okay," said Lily "Petunia knows she's come with me enough times."

"Lily love," said James looking at his girlfriend, "I love your optimism but do you really think the Dursleys are gonna tell him how to get onto the platform? They don't want him to learn magic."

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone**.

"And that's the end of the chapter," said Remus handing the book over to Sirius


	9. The Journey from Platfor Nine and Three

I do not own Harry Potter, everything you see in bold and all characters belong to J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Ah do we finally get to Hogwarts in the next chapter," asked Sirius flicking through the book to find his chapter. "Oh well nearly but this will be a fun chapter too. This one is called "**The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters."**

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut**

**Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him — in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.**

"At least that's an upturn," said James

"Yeah but it gets boring when nobody will talk to you," said Sirius. He had experienced this himself if his parents weren't telling him what a terrible son he was they were just plain ignoring his existence.

Severus was also feeling bad for Harry he knew how it felt to be ignored and miss treated by those who were supposed to care and protect you. He wasn't going to say anything though it would only give Potter the arrogant bastard that he was even more reason to single him out.

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did be- come a bit depressing after a while.**

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic.**

"You actually read that without falling asleep?" asked Sirius in disbelief.

"Not all of us are as lazy as you are Sirius. I'm proud that my son has obviously inherited his studious side from me," said Lily

"Actually," said Harry with a laugh. "That was the only time I ever opened that book and it was only because: one I was bored and two I wanted to know as much about magic as I could. I was still in shock a little."

Lily gave a little humph and turned her head in the opposite direction while Sirius and James laughed and sent Harry the thumbs up.

"I don't know why you're condoning that James potter, he's your son you're meant to encourage him to learn," said Lily in a stern voice.

"well I've never opened my History of Magic text book either and it hasn't done me any harm," said James with a shrug.

**His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. **

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

"I used to do that before I moved out of the _family_ home," said Sirius

"So did I," said Snape. Before he quickly shut his mouth and averted his eyes from everyone in the room. So he missed the small glance of pity that Lily had bestowed on him.

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day,**

"Leaving it a bit late aren't you kiddo," said James

**so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

Everyone in the room laughed.

**"Er — Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

**"Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

**"Thank you."**

"Wow Harry you never told me you spoke troll," said Ron laughing

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

"No they're illegal," said Frank.

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**"Where is this school, anyway?"**

**"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

**"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

**"Platform what?"**

**"Nine and three-quarters."**

** "Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

**"It's on my ticket."**

**"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

**"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

**"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."**

The whole room rang with laughter again.

"Oh I would have loved the have seen the doctors faces," said Hermione through her giggles.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning**

"I was up at 3am" said Hermione colouring a little at her confession.

"I couldn't sleep at all," said Neville "I was so nervous and excited."

** and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes**

"Good thinking Pup," said Sirius.

**— he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

**"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

"Why that depraved spiteful troll," shrieked Lily

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

**"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.**

"Oh what an evil cow my sister is, you wait until I next see her, how can a full grown adult be so spiteful."

** Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.**

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. **

"That was lucky," said Hermione. "Imagine if you had gotten on the wrong train."

**In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley.**

**He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

"no, no, no, no, no, not a good Idea," said Sirius shaking his head.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"— packed with Muggles, of course —"**

"Yes," cheered the group as a whole "wizards,"

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him — and they had an owl. **

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

**"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

"Why did she ask the platform number if she's a witch, the platform never changes," said Regulus

"Never try to figure out what goes through my mothers' mind," replied Ron shaking his head.

"So is this where we get to meet you then?" asked Lily.

"Yep I should be mentioned soon,"

**"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go . . ."**

**"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

**"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

**"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell**

**I'm George?"**

**"Sorry, George, dear."**

**"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, **

"I like the sound of this Fred and George," said Sirius smiling,

"Oh you'd get on very well," laughed Harry.

**and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it?**

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier — he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't any- where.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

**"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

**"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

"Thanks Harry," laughed Ron "Not even your best mate is safe from your brutal descriptions."

**"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"**

**"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

**"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

**"Er — okay," said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the trolley was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash — It didn't come . . . he kept on running . . . he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words**

**Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it.**

The room clapped and cheered at his success. Apart from the two Slytherins who looked on in distain and the childishness of them.

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying,**

**"Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

**"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.**

"Why are you with your Gran Neville? surely we would be there to see you off to your first day of school," asked Alice and for the first time he voice wasn't the joyful sound had been throughout the reading.

"You'll find out in book five," said Neville "remembering how he had seen Harry and the others at St Mungo's that year."

"Book four," said Harry. "I found out in my fourth year,"

"We're not dead as well are we," asked Frank.

Neville just shook his head but didn't elaborate and motioned for Sirius to carry on reading.

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**"Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

Ron shivered at the mention of Lee's tarantula.

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.**

"Ouch I feel your pain pup," said Sirius "I've done that a few times. And sometimes he does it to me on purpose," finished Sirius pointing to James who suddenly had an innocent look on his face,

"Don't what you're talking about, that's Remus's trick that is," said James pointing towards Remus.

"Don't blame me," said Remus.

**"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

**"Yes, please," Harry panted.**

**"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

"Wow who would have thought Fred and George could be so helpful," laughed Ron. It was painful remembering Fred and knowing that George just wasn't coping with the death of his best friend and brother at all, but he had a feeling that up until the final battle in their final year it was going to nice hearing and remembering all of Fred and Georges antics, and he just kept reminding himself that that's why they were here so George wouldn't have to feel that loss. His own feeling of loss was bad enough he didn't even want to think about how hard it must be for George.

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

** "Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at**

**Harry's lightning scar.**

**"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you — ?"**

**"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**" Harry Potter," chorused the twins.**

**"Oh, him," **

The room laughed again.

"so it hasn't even been your first day of school yet and already you're hating the attention, I have a feeling it's just gonna get worse kiddo," said James

"You're feeling unfortunately, would be right," replied Harry suppressing a sigh.

**said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

**"Fred? George? Are you there?"**

**"Coming, Mom."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train. Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

**"Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

**" Mom — geroff." He wriggled free.**

Ron turned a brilliant shade of red; "You Just had to see that didn't you," he moaned

**"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.**

**"**Aaah Ickle Ronniekins," cooed Sirius, and he found himself with another pillow to his face adding to his rather impressive collection.

**"Shut up," said Ron.**

**"Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

**"He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed**

**into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

"burgh Prefects," said Sirius in disgust. "the bane of my existence."

"Hey," came several shouts from around the room and several more pillows made their way in Sirius's direction.

**"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"**

**"Oh, are you a prefect,**

**Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

**"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"**

**"Or twice —"**

**"A minute —"**

**"All summer —"**

By this point Sirius, James Remus, Ron Harry Frank and Neville were howling with laughter, while the females in the room were shaking their heads at the immaturity of these fully grown me.

**"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

**"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

**"Because he's a prefect, "**

**said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"**

"Just a tip to the wise Lily, when you have Harry, don't give him any pranking ideas you'll have nobody but yourself to blame when they come to fruition, "said Remus

**"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."**

"See."

**"It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

"Aaah how cute," cooed Sirius again

**"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins al- ready and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

**"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station?**

**Know who he is?"**

**"Who?"**

**"Harry Potter!"**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

**"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please. . . ."**

"Really he isn't an animal in a Zoo," huffed out McGonagall.

**"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

**"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning."**

**"Poor dear — no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know- Who looks like?"**

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

**"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

**"All right, keep your hair on."**

**A whistle sounded.**

**"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

**"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."**

The boys all laughed again, while the girls looked on disapprovingly

**"George!"**

**"Only joking, Mom."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to — but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

"A million times better," said Sirius**. **

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest red-headed boy came in.**

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

"Thanks for telling me mate," said Ron

Harry just smirked at him and shrugged his shoulders

**"Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.**

**"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."**

"Awesome," said James and Sirius.

**"Right," mumbled Ron.**

**"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

**"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

**"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out. **

**Harry nodded.**

**"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know . . ."**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead. **

**Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

**"So that's where You-Know-Who — ?"**

**"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."**

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

"Ron," scolded Hermione "What did your mother just say,"

"That Fred and George couldn't ask him, she didn't say anything about me."

**"Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

**"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

**"Er — yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

**"So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

"Definitely not," said Ron in disgust.

"Sorry mate," apologised Harry.

"I don't think I have ever been so offended in my life," said Ron in mock Horror

"Are they that bad then?" asked James

"Just wait we should be meeting him again soon, and I'm sure you'll probably recognise the name," said Harry

**"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron.**

"Wow that is a lot of children," said Alice with a whistle

"Someone's been having fun," laughed Sirius

"Sirius, please they are some mental images I could do without thanks," said Ron his face twisting in disgust.

**For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect.**

**Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.**

"You definitely stand out on your own now," said Harry with a smile.

** You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.**

**"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff— I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window. Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents.**

**This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

"It did," said Ron smiling.

**". . . and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about be- ing a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"**

**Ron gasped.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**" You said You-Know-Who's name !" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"**

**"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn. . . . I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

**"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for sweets with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready**

**to buy as many Mars Bars**

"What are Mars Bars," asked Sirius

"It's a Muggle chocolate," answered Remus

"Oh trust you to know that," said James laughing

**As he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

"Someone's hungry," said Alice with a chuckle.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**"Hungry, are you?"**

**"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said,**

**"She always forgets I don't like corned beef."**

**"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"**

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."**

** "Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through**

**all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

**"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

**"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

**"What?"**

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

"I've got three of both of them, I'm pretty sure I've collected them all" said James

"I finally got Agrippa," said Ron "Still haven't got Ptolemy though,"

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

**"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

**"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron.**

**"Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"**

**Harry turned over his card and read: currently headmaster of Hogwarts**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

**"He's gone!"**

"Well you can't expect him to hang around all day can you," said Regulus.

"yes," said Lily defensively "but in the Muggle world pictures don't move."

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.**

**"He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her . . . do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

**"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

**"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only**

**Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcraft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.**

**"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour — **

"Tell me about it," said Frank in a disgusted voice "I swear I got a vomit flavoured one once,"

"I got one that I'm sure was wet dog, I don't know what else it could have been," said James wrinkling his nose. "I often wonder why I still eat them."

**you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once."**

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

**"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."**

**They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

"Ah well they could have been worse," said Sirius.

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three- quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

**"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

**"He'll turn up," said Harry.**

**"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him . . ." He left.**

**"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."**

"Trevor seems like an amazing pet in comparison now doesn't he," whispered Ron

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

**"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look . . ."**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, **

"I do not have a bossy voice," Said Hermione scandalised

Ron, Harry and Neville all just looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows, which caused a blush to creep onto he cheeks.

**lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

"Thanks Harry," said Hermione shaking her head.

**"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

**"Er — all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

**"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,**

**Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."**

Everyone in the room burst out laughing,

"That's not even a real spell," chuckled James

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.**

**"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"**

"Whoa ," said Sirius trying to retrieve his breath "Hermione slow down and learn to breath."

Hermione coloured slightly again "Well I was excited and nervous and I tend to ramble when I'm like that."

"Really, I would never have guess," replied Sirius in a sarcastic tone.

"You learnt your course books by heart," said James in disbelief. "Someone's an eager beaver aren't they."

**She said all this very fast.**

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

**"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

**"Harry Potter," said Harry.**

**"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."**

**"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," **

"Yes because everyone wants to read about the nights their parents died," said Snape sarcastically

"Oh," said Hermione colouring slightly again. "I didn't think of it like that."

"Clearly," said Snape his lip curling.

**said Hermione. "Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best;**

"That's because it is," said James Proudly, while the other Gryffindors nodded their heads.

**I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. . . .**

"Erm thanks I think," said Frank

** Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

**"Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."**

**"What House are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

**"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

** "That's the House Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

**"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off Houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

**"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, **

"Cool," said Sirius,

**and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the**

**Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose**

**you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

**Harry stared.**

**"Really? What happened to them?"**

**"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. **

**"**What?" said James in disbelief, "I thought high security vaults were well, you know, high security, how could someone get away without being caught?"

** My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."**

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned.**

**He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.**

**"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

**"Er — I don't know any," Harry confessed.**

**"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger**

**this time.**

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: It was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. **

"Oh great just what we need the devil incarnate," said Lily

**He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

**"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

**"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

**"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

"Ahhh," said Sirius "should have known."

"Malfoy?" asked James. "Is he Lucius Malfoys son?"

"That's the one," said Harry

"Lucius is a few years above us," explained Remus "He's really into the Dark Arts I wouldn't be surprised if he went and joined Voldemort the first chance he got."

"I take it you have the great pleasure of meeting him then?" asked James

"yes," said Harry "On several occasions, he doesn't like me very much for some reason."

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are.**

**My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.**

"Yeah like the Malfoys," said James spitting out the last word like it was another wet dog flavoured Bertie bots.

** I can help you there." **

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.**

** "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

"You tell him pup," said Sirius

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

**"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. **

"How dare he, is he threatening my son the evil little monster," shrieked Lily. "I'll show him what's good for him."

**They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." **

**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

**"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

**"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

**"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

**"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

"Burgh he really thinks a lot of himself that one doesn't," said Alice.

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle **

"Yes!" shouted Sirius, "Ron I love your rat."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances clearly thinking the same thing, not for long you won't

** — Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

**"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."**

**And so he had.**

**"You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. **

"Yeah right," said Sirius, "Lucius has just married into my wonderful family, and trust me he doesn't need the Imperius curse on him to make him act out evil. It's ingrained in him"

**My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoys father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

**"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

**"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her.**

**"Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

**"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," **

"Erm Hermione you do realise the reason they were acting childishly is because they are children right?" said Sirius, laughing.

"Well okay," said Hermione. "I might have been a bit highly strung when I first started."

"A bit," laughed James.

**Said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"**

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his trainers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform.**

**Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice:**

**"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"**

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

**"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!"**

"It is amazing the first time you see it isn't it," said Lily in a dreamy voice.

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

**"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

** "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself.**

**"Right then — FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

**"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff;**

"Yep," said Sirius rubbing his head. "Don't want to forget to do that."

**they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. **

"How the hell did the toad get from the train to the boats by itself?" ask Alice

"It's evil I'm telling you, I don't have a clue what happened to him he just wandered off all the time."

**Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

**"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

"And that's the end of another chapter," said Sirius.

"Well I think we have time for one more before we all have dinner, again you are free to stay in this room if you wish," announced Dumbledore. "Although Miss Evans and Mr Potter, you will still be expected to do your normal Saturday night Head Boy and Girl duties."

"Yes Professor," they chorused

"So," said James. "Do I get Harry's sorting," said James the excitement clear in his Voice.


	10. The Sorting Hat

I do not own Harry Potter everything you see in bold and all the characters you notice do not belong to me. If they did Sirius, Dobby and Hedwig would still be alive!

* * *

James picked up the book and Grinned. "Yes," he cheered**. "the Sorting Hat."**

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

"Harry's first thought would be right," said Sirius wincing at all the memories he had of being hauled up in McGonagalls office.

**"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

**"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

**"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly,**

"Hogwarts feasts are the best," said Ron in a longing voice.

**but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your**

**House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.**

**"The four Houses are called Gryffindor,**

Cheers came from the Gryffindor students.

**Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,**

Frank cheered at the mention of his old house.

**and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.**

**"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear,**

"How on earth did you manage that," asked Alice chuckling.

"I can see where he gets his co-ordination from," said Frank nudging his girlfriend playfully

**and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.**

**"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

**"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" he asked Ron.**

** "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."**

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet — what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except**

**Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.**

Hermione blushed as the other occupants of the room laughed and shook their heads at her.

**Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teachers wig blue.**

"Awesome," laughed Sirius, and lent over to whisper to James. "can you imagine turning McGonagalls' hair blue?"

"Shame the book mentioned it, she would know it was us now if we done it," he replied.

"Mr. Black, Mr. Potter don't go and get any ridiculous ideas," reprimanded professor McGonagall

**He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom. Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air — several people behind him screamed.**

"The ghosts," said the teenagers.

"They do it every year," said Frank

**"What the — ?"**

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"**

**"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"**

"Like you don't know," said Alice.

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

**Nobody answered.**

**"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.**

**"About to be Sorted, I suppose?"**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff !" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."**

**"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard**

**Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."**

"See," said Lily turning to James "I'm not the only one who has read it."

"I've read it too," said Remus.

"You say that like it's something to be proud of," said Sirius shaking his head.

"I happened to find it a very interesting read myself," said professor Dumbledore.

"So did I professor," said Lily smiling

Sirius was suddenly overcome with a coughing fit which sounded suspiciously like "suck up"

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.**

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it,**

"Why would you need to pull a rabbit out of a hat," said Regulus, frowning in confusion

"It's a Muggle magic trick," replied Hermione

"Muggles can do magic," he asked in a shocked voice.

"No," she said. "There more optical illusions, they're performed for entertainment at children's birthday parties and such."

**Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to**

**sing:**

**"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**

**But don't judge on what you see,**

**I'll eat myself if you can find**

**A smarter hat than me.**

**You can keep your bowlers black,**

**Your top hats sleek and tall,**

**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**

**And I can cap them all.**

**There's nothing hidden in your head**

**The Sorting Hat can't see,**

**So try me on and I will tell you**

**Where you ought to be.**

**You might belong in Gryffindor,**

**Where dwell the brave at heart,**

**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**

**Set Gryffindors apart;**

**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**

**Where they are just and loyal,**

**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**

**And unafraid of toil;**

**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**

**If you've a ready mind,**

**Where those of wit and learning,**

**Will always find their kind;**

**Or perhaps in Slytherin**

**You'll make your real friends,**

**Those cunning folk use any means**

**To achieve their ends.**

**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**

**And don't get in a flap!**

**You're in safe hands (though I have none)**

**For I'm a Thinking Cap!"**

"Well that was hell of a lot more cheerful than any of the ones we have had." Said Alice pouting

"The sorting hat will give warning to the school when it feels it needs to" said Dumbledore gravely, "and these are dark times we are living in."

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

**"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry.**

**"I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."**

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot;**

The people in the room chuckled.

**Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a House for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.**

"I think everyone would be placed in that house if they had it," laughed frank

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

**"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause —**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

**"Bones, Susan!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**"Boot, Terry!"**

**"RAVENCLAW!"**

Frank smiled,

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor,**

The Gryffindor's in the room cheered.

**and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers' cat- calling.**

**"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was**

**Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.**

Sirius and James sniggered. Whereas Severus and Regulus scowled

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.**

**"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a**

**Gryffindor.**

**"Granger, Hermione!"**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

**"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.**

The room cheered for her.

"Thanks Ron," said Hermione shaking her head

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor**

**McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

"Your kid's a bit dramatic eh," said Alice looking to James and Lily.

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted,**

**"GRYFFINDOR,"**

"Where else was it thinking of putting you?" asked Frank.

"The hat said I was extremely loyal but also brave so it couldn't decide between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor," answered Neville

"There two of the best qualities someone could have," said Alice beaming with pride.

**Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back**

The whole room started laughing again including Neville who had went a brilliant shade of red.

**amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."**

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"**

"Well would you look at that the pureblood with prejudiced ideas lands in Slytherin who would have seen that coming," said James scowling

"That's enough Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore. "You might not be able to see it yet but every house has it's good and bad qualities and every house has resulted in its own fair share of good and bad people."

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now.**

**"Moon" . . . , "Nott" . . . , "Parkinson" . . . , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" . . . , then "Perks, Sally-Anne" . . . , and then, at last —**

**"Potter, Harry!"**

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall. **

**"Potter, did she say?"**

**"The Harry Potter?"**

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

**"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult.**

"How's it difficult? My son would certainly be in Gryffindor, like his dad and his grandparents and his mother of course," said James.

**Plenty of courage,**

"See Gryffindor," said James

** I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes**

"That could be Ravenclaw," said Frank

**— and a nice thirst to prove yourself,**

"and that would be Slytherin," said Snape his lip curling he would love to see Potters face his son got put into Slytherin. That would knock him down a peg or two

**now that's interesting. . . . So where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought,**

**Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.**

**"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that —**

"No," shouted James. "You heard him he doesn't want to be in Slytherin, stop trying to corrupt my son you stupid hat.."

** no? Well, if you're sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!"**

"Yes," cheered the Gryffindors.

"Oh Harry we're so proud," said Lily beaming at him

"You're going to love it in Gryffindor kiddo best house by far," said James smiling.

"I thought you'd be more shocked at the hat wanting to put me in Slytherin," said a shocked Harry.

"Nah," said James "You chose not to be Slytherin that's the important part."

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table.**

**He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up.**

**Harry grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

"Well that's a new addition to his wardrobe," said Sirius. "Fashion obviously takes a nose dive in the next thirteen years."

**And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted,**

**"GRYFFINDOR!"**

The people in the room cheered once more for Ron's' sorting.

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

**"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor**

**McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago**

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

"Nothing _could_ please me more," said Dumbledore smiling

**"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!**

**"Thank you!"**

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

**"Is he — a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.**

Dumbledore chuckled. "It has been said,"

**"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"**

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries,**

**Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

At that moment Ron and Sirius' stomachs gave extremely loud growls.

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

**"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching**

**Harry cut up his steak.**

**"Can't you — ?" "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

**"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you — you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

**"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy —" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted. "**

**Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"**

The Gryffindor's groaned,

"There is always someone who asks every year, and while we're trying to eat," said Lily sounding a little queasy at the thought.

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

**"Like this, " he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!**

"What," shouted the Gryffindors,

"That's just not right," said James

Even McGonagall was shaking her head. She didn't like to advocate house rivalry but she was very fond of winning the house cup.

The two Slytherins however were sat with smug satisfied smiles playing on their faces.

"I don't know what you two are smiling about," said James. "It's not as if you personally won the cup."

** The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."**

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.**

The three marauders and Frank, Ron and Neville all gave snorts of laughter.

**"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

**"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

"Does anyone know?" asked Regulus.

"I do," said Harry.

"Does that mean we'll get to find out," asked Sirius.

"Yeah it'll probably be in the last book it's kinda important to the story."

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding . . .**

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

**"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

"I'd say. That could have turned out really bad," said Lily while most of the people in the room were laughing

**The others laughed.**

**"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

**"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville,**

**"but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned —**

"What," screeched Alice, "What kind of idiot does that to a child and my child no less?"

** but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles **

"Just you wait until I see your uncle again Frank, I'll dangle him out the window by something and it won't be his ankles."

**when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. **

"Accidentally let go!" shrieked Alice her temper raging. "You don't accidentally let go of a child who you have hanging out of an upstairs window."

**But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."**

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons **

"Wow there's a surprise," said Sirius, gaining yet another cushion

**("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult —";**

"Nah, Transfigurations easy," said James.

** "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing —").**

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet.**

**Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.**

"No way, no Fuc-lipping way," said James. "Please don't tell me he gets a Job at Hogwarts. Is that him, is that _seriously_ Snape teaching at Howgwarts"

"How the hell did he become a professor," said Sirius

Harry just grimaced and nodded his head he wasn't looking forward to his parents reactions on how Snape treated him. He himself still didn't think it was fair or justified but at least he understood it a bit more now. Harry to Snape was a constant reminder of not only the antagonism Snape had suffered at the hands of James but also a reminder of Lily and Snapes own role in her death.

Snape on the other hand was trying to think why he would be working at Hogwarts, he would be the first to admit he didn't have the temperament to teach children. Did his position there have something to do with defeating the Dark Lord. Surely if the Dark Lord had fell his death eaters would have been caught and even if he had managed to escape imprisonment, Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone he thought was a death eater in a million years. So how did he end up there.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes — and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.**

"What," shouted James, "What are you doing to my Son."

"I don't know do I," said Snape in a silky voice "It hasn't happened yet."

**"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

**"What is it?" asked Percy.**

**"N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teachers look — a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

**"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked**

**Percy.**

**"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

"Even the students know all about your little obsession," said James in disgust.

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

**"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.**

** "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. **

The marauders all grinned at each other.

**And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

**"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.**

**"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term.**

**Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.**

**"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

"What why?" asked Lily looking towards the headmaster

"I cannot say," replied Dumbledore. "Although I am sure I have a very good reason."

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

**"He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.**

**"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least.**

"Got a high opinion of himself you brother hasn't he," said Sirius

"Yeah, it takes a while for him to get over it as well," said Ron, remembering all the trouble the family went through because of Percy's actions.

**"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

Dumbledore looked a little crest fallen

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

**"Everyone pick their favourite tune," **

"Everyone got their favourite tune," said James.

**said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

"Sing," shouted James.

**And the school bellowed:**

**"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,**

**Teach us something please,**

**Whether we be old and bald**

**Or young with scabby knees,**

**Our heads could do with filling**

**With some interesting stuff,**

**For now they're bare and full of air,**

**Dead flies and bits of fluff,**

**So teach us things worth knowing,**

**Bring back what we've forgot,**

**Just do your best, we'll do the rest,**

**And learn until our brains all rot."**

By the end of the song everyone was single the school song through tears of laughter at the ridiculous dance Alice was doing to accompany her tune.

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.**

**Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

**"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"**

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

"Ahhh Peeves," said Sirius. "I'm gonna miss him when we leave."

"you three are the only ones," said Lily.

"Two," said Remus. "I went off him after he started singing his charming little song for me that these two taught him."

**"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves — show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

**"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

**"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.**

"You don't have the best look do you son," said Frank

**"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

**"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.**

**"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off,**

**Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."**

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.**

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully — and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it — then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold — there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.**

"Well that was pleasant, and not at all disturbing," said Alice.

**He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.**

"That is the end of the chapter," said James.

"About time too I'm starving." Said Sirius.

"Well we will cut off for dinner," said Professor Dumbledore, "Those who do not wish to stay in this room to eat could you please be back within the hour it's now a quarter passed five, we will try and get through a few more chapters tonight but then you will all have to retire to your rooms for Curfew, and Mr Potter and Miss Evans you will have to do your duties. Mr Longbottom," Dumbledore turned to look at Frank. "Harry and the others have told me that this room will be providing them with rooms to sleep in if you wish to stay here to make it easier for you, you are very welcome of course."

"Thank you professor," said frank giving a nod to his old headmaster.

"We shall see you all very soon then," and with that the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and the two Slytherins left the room.

* * *

Thanks again to all the reviews it really does mean a lot to me that you take time to do them.


	11. The Potions Master

I do not own Harry Potter everything you recognise is JKR's

* * *

"So is it my turn to read now," asked Lily when everyone had come back to the room at 6 o clock and had settled in the seats. Sirius was disappointed to see that his fine array of cushions had made their way back to where they had originally been. "Okay," she said picking up the book "This chapter is called **The Potions Master."**

**There, look."**

**"Where?"**

**"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."**

**"Wearing the glasses?"**

**"Did you see his face?"**

**"Did you see his scar?"**

**Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. **

"That's just sad," said Sirius.

**Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.**

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: **

"You counted the stairways?" asked Sirius with raised Eyebrows.

Harry just turned to Hermione who blushed and dipped her head.

**wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led some- where different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armour could walk.**

"They can when instructed to," said McGonagall. "It is their duty to protect the school.

**The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new**

**Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your**

**head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"**

"I wonder who taught him that," said Lily with disapproving look towards the marauders. Who gave her a look that Harry suspected was meant to look innocent and shrugged.

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker,**

**Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. **

"Wow good going Harry it took us to mid-afternoon," Said Sirius approvingly

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.**

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins)**

The Marauders all looked at each other again. I bet we know more, they thought.

** and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs Norris a good kick.**

"Harry," scolded Lily.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.**

Regulus gave a snort and a shake of his head but other than that didn't comment and by the looks her received from James, Lily and Sirius it was probably the wisest idea he had ever had.

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.**

**Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.**

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's**

**name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.**

The room chuckled, "even the teachers are in awe of you Harry," said James.

"That could come in useful for getting out of trouble," said Sirius with a grin

"I'm hoping my son doesn't get into trouble," said Lily "although with him as a father and you as a God father that doesn't seem very likely."

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.**

** "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."**

"You always let us come back Professor," said Sirius.

"Well you are my best students," she answered rather reluctantly, "I just wish you would pay more attention and set a better example to other students."

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.**

"I didn't know that was possible," whispered Sirius so only Remus and James heard.

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the Zombie , Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather;**

"Definitely made it up then," said Alice

**for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.**

**Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards.**

**There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.**

**Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.**

"It took you the whole week," said James slightly disappointed

"Unlike you maybe Harry spends his sleeping hours doing just that," scowled Lily

**"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.**

**"Double Potions with the Slytherins," **

"Oh that should be fun, said Sirius. "You know sir I don't know why you keep putting Slytherin and Gryffindor together, it never ends well."

"I think I still hold onto the hope that one day we will have inter house unity," replied Dumbledore with a sigh

**said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. **

"Double the fun," said Sirius again, earning a scowl from Snape.

**They say he always favours them — **

"Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

"Are you going to interrupt after everything that is said about me Black,"

**we'll be able to see if it's true."**

**"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.**

**Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great**

**Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.**

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

**Dear Harry,**

**I know you get Friday afternoons off so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**

**Hagrid**

"That's nice of him," smiled Lily.

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled**

**Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.**

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.**

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry — he hated him.**

"Severus," shouted Lily. "How can you hate him you've never even met him before?"

Severus didn't reply he just looked in the opposite direction he couldn't face seeing Lily's eyes burn with disappointment at him again, he was getting the feeling these books wouldn't do much to endear himself to her, it seemed foolish now to think that maybe they would have helped re build their friendship, he should have known that in his one moment of anger and stupidity he had lost her for good. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in the room anymore but his curiosity kept him in place.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.**

**"Ah, yes, " he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new — celebrity."**

"Why you worthless little – do you think he wants to be famous because we're dead?" shouted James

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of**

**Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.**

**"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**

"Well that's encouraging," said Alice trying to lift the mood as James and Snape were staring at each other like they would like nothing more than to start throwing unforgivables.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.**

**"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

"That's not even a first year potion and you know it," scowled Lily.

"Draught of the living dead we didn't brew that until sixth year," said Sirius.

"Don't think I don't know why you're acting like this Snivelly," growled James. "it's childish and pathetic, if you have a problem with _me_ take it out on _me,_ not my son who's done nothing but turn up to your class to learn,"

**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at**

**Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

**"I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer.**

**"Tut, tut — fame clearly isn't everything."**

Again James growled.

"Well you're not exactly blameless in this are you," said Lily turning to James. "Maybe if you laid off him he wouldn't be treating Harry like this."

"Maybe," said James. "But that's still no excuse he's a grown adult, Harry is 11 here for Merlins sake."

**He ignored Hermione's hand.**

**"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"**

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and**

**Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.**

"Oh like they would know," said Sirius.

**"I don't know, sir."**

** "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"**

**Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?**

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.**

**"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and Wolfsbane?"**

"Really Severus, that one definitely isn't fair it's a trick question," sighed Lily she had gone passed anger she was merely disappointed now, for 8 years Severus had been her best friend and this is how he treats her son, maybe he hated James but she was in Harry too.

**At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

**"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"**

"Ooh," said Sirius wincing. "That is not going to go down well."

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.**

**"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information,**

**Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most**

**poisons. As for monkshood and Wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"**

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

"Well at least it's only one point," said Remus with a frown "it could have been worse."

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black**

**cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. **

"I bet he does," said James scowling "Birds of a feather and all that."

**He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.**

"That would be my talent at potions then," said Alice with a smile

**Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his**

**arms and legs.**

**"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape,**

"Hey watch who you're calling an idiot, you over grown bat," said Alice he light tone gone in an instant.

** clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

**"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.**

"How on earth is it their fault," blasted James.

**"You — Potter — why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but**

**Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.**

**"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."**

Everyone in the room except the Professors and Regulus growled, Even McGonagall looked like she wanted to say something though and Professor Dumbledore looked at Snape in disappointment.

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week — why did Snape hate him so much?**

"Because he's a childish idiot who can't take it out on me so he bullies an eleven year old," growled James.

"Severus," said Lily. "You know how it feels to be bullied, why would you want to do that to someone else?"

Severus had no answer to this so he just kept his eyes averted; he was having trouble himself believing how he was acting. If he had to compare it to anyone he would say he was acting like James Potter and that wasn't a comforting thought.

James was also feeling uncomfortable he knew Lily was referring to him when she had said about Snape being bullied, he had never seen it that way before, had never thought himself as a bully Snape always seemed to give as good as he got. Thinking about it though, it did seem to be him that started most of their confrontations, and now because of this and Snapes inability to be mature about it his son was paying the price.

** "Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"**

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.**

**When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying,**

** "Back, Fang — back."**

**Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.**

**"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.**

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.**

**"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

**"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling wa- ter into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.**

**"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.**

**"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."**

"And his other half has been spent chasing us out of there," said Sirius with a laugh.

**The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.**

**Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git''**

The people in the room chuckled.

**"An' as fer that cat, Mrs Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her — Filch puts her up to it."**

**Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told**

**Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.**

**"But he seemed to really hate me."**

More growls at the reminder of Snapes unfair treatment reverberated around the room.

**"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"**

**Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.**

**"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot — great with animals."**

**Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose.**

**While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. It was a cutting from the**

**Daily Prophet: GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**

**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.**

**Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**

**"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.**

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

**"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. **

"Anyone thinking it's this Philosophers stone thing?" asked Alice.

**He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again.**

**The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day.**

**Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

"Yes," chorused the room.

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did**

**Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

"Yeah he's a pathetic little…"

"Thank you Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore. "I understand you are angry and upset but can we all please try to keep a civil tongue in our heads please."

"That was the end of the chapter," said Lily.


	12. The Midnight Duel

I do not own Harry Potter all scenarios and characters you recognise belongs to J.K Rowling

I spent a good bit of yesterday writing so I could give you guys an update

* * *

Alice took the book from Lily and read aloud **"The Midnight Duel"**

"Oh please tell me you get into a due," cried Lily

"I don't get into a duel," replied Harry smiling innocently at his mother.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better aren't you."

"Maybe," replied Harry

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday — and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

"Oh great more quality time with the little rat Malfoy," muttered Sirius

**"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy." **

**He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else. **

**"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk." **

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams **

The four time travellers all tried to supress their smirks

**And told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. **

"It does sound pretty boring," said Frank, "and this is a popular muggle sport?"

"Yeah," replied Harry, "it isn't as boring as it sounds."

**Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move. Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.**

"Can't argue with that," said Neville laughing.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book — not that she hadn't tried.**

Ron and Sirius both sniggered at Hermione.

**At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called****_ Quidditch Through the Ages._**

"That sounds good, must be a new one I've never heard of it," said James

"I think it was pretty new," said Harry, "It has the nimbus 2000 in there and they only came out the year I started Hogwarts."

**Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. **

**Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.**

**A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. **

**"It's a Remembrall!"**

"Remembralls are useless I had one a few years back, it would be more useful if they showed you what you forgot," said Alice

**he explained. "Gran knows I forget things — this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red — oh "His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "you've forgotten something" **

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand**.

"Urgh, what a pasty little cretin he is," cried Alice.

**Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who spot could trouble quicker than any teacher in the school,**

"Yes well with these two," she said point over at James and Sirius, "I've had enough practise."

**was there in a flash. **

**"What's going on?" **

**"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor." **

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. **

**"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. **

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance. **

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. **

**"We really should look into getting some new ones, they are becoming a health hazard," said McGonagall**

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. **

**"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." **

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. **

**"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!' " **

**"UP!" everyone shouted. **

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once,**

"Whoop," cried James, "you're gonna be a naturally." He was trying to understand why Harry didn't try out for the house team as soon as he got the chance. He would have loved his son to share his enthusiasm for the game.

**but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid,** **thought Harry;**

"They are," said McGonagall.

**there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years**.

The three marauders and Alice let out snorts of laughter

**"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —" **

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips. **

**"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle — twelve feet — twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and — **

**WHAM — **

"Oh no" moaned Alice, "Were you okay?"

"Yeah," said Neville with a shrug "Just a broken wrist Madam Pomfrey patched me up within minutes."

**a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight. **

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his. **

**"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy — it's all right, up you get." **

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

**"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

"That vile evil little cockroach I hope someone teaches him a lesson and soon," said Alice

**"Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

**The other Slytherins joined in. **

**"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil. **

**"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought ****_you'd_**** like fat little crybabies, Parvati."**

"Rather Neville than Malfoy," said Hermione.

**"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." **

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up. **

**"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch. **

**Malfoy smiled nastily**.

**"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?" **

**"Give it****_ here_****!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he ****_could_**** fly well. **

**"Damn," muttered James. **

**Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!" **

**Harry grabbed his broom. **

"Oh Harry," moaned Lily I know he's in the wrong but you shouldn't rise to him, you'll end up getting in trouble just leave him to it and he can serve detention Merlin knows it's the least he deserves."

"_No_!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble."

**Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him — and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught — this was easy, this was****_ wonderful._**

James and Sirius were grinning from ear to ear.

**He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron. **

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned. **

**"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!" **

**"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried. **

**Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about- face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping. **

**"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called. **

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy. **

**"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground. **

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down — next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — he stretched out his hand — a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.**

"Yes," shouted James. "That was amazing. Tell me again why you don't try out for Gryffindor Quidditch team,"

"I just never tried out," shrugged Harry trying with all his strength to keep the humour out of his voice.

**"HARRY POTTER!" **

"Oh bloody hell," Sirius sighed. "Someone always has to ruin the fun don't they."

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.**

**"****_Never_**** — in all my time at Hogwarts —" **

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how****_ dare _****you — might have broken your neck —"**

"She's right," said Lily "Harry you could have been seriously hurt."

**"It wasn't his fault, Professor —" **

**"Be quiet, Miss Patil —" **

**"But Malfoy —" **

**"That's****_ enough,_**** Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now." **

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep? **

"Harry you really are a pessimist aren't you," laughed Alice

** Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag. **

The occupants of the room shook their head laughing at Harrys imagination.

"I was eleven," said Harry.

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside. **

**"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?" **

"Huh" said James tilting his head like a confused dog, "What's going on."

**Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him? **

"We never use corporal punishment Mr Potter," said Professor McGonagall.

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused. **

**"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry. **

**"In here." **

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard**.

James and Sirius smirked they were pretty sure they had probably taught peeves some of them rude words.

**"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys. **

**"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker." **

"No way," shouted James. "No way, but you said, please tell me you don't turn it down."

"If you let Alice finish we'll find out won't we," said Harry not giving anything away.

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight. **

**"Are you serious, Professor?" **

**"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?" **

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs. **

**"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done i t. " **

"I wouldn't let Charlie hear you say that he'll want to prove you wrong," laughed Ron.

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. **

**"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly. **

**"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained. **

**"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light — speedy — we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

**"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year.****_ Flattened_**** in that last match by Slytherin,**

Regulus had a smug smile on his face.

**I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks." **

"Why would you want to," whispered Sirius to James.

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.**

**"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you." **

**Then she suddenly smiled. **

**"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." **

"I am proud," said James beaming, "but you said…"

"That I didn't try out for the team, and I didn't Professor McGonagall placed me on the team."

"Wow." said James laughing, "My son seeker in his first year, you must be the youngest seeker in Merlin knows how long."

**"You're****_ joking._****"**

"She is not, I'm an excellent Quidditch player."

"If sometime this century you decide to deflate your ego," laughed Alice "You'll realise were on a new paragraph and no longer talking about you Mr. Big star."

"Oh right," said James colouring slightly.

**It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it. **

**"****_Seeker_****?" he said. "But first years****_ never_**** — you must be the youngest House player in about —" **

**"— a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me." **

"Wow," said Lily, even she couldn't deny she was impressed no matter how much she disliked Quidditch

**Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry. **

**"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret." **

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over. **

**"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too — Beaters." **

**"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us." **

**"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school." **

**"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you." **

"I really like them," said Sirius.

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. **

**"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?" **

"Oh Merlin wait 'til he find out it's going to be the highlight of the book," laughed James.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

**"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel.**

"Should have known it would be that good for nothing little pleb who wanted to duel," snarled Lily

**Wands only — no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?" **

**"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

**"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.**

**"What****_ is_**** a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?" **

**"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage.** **I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

**"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" **

"Punch him," suggested Sirius.

**"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested. **

**"Excuse me." **

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger. **

**"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron. **

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. **

**"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"**

"Bet you couldn't," said James and Sirius in unison.

**"Bet you could," Ron muttered. **

**"— and you****_ mustn't_**** go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

**"And it's really none of your business," said Harry. **

**"Good-bye," said Ron. **

"Ouch," said Sirius, "How the hell did you guys become friends."

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing).**

"What thought you said Madam Pomfrey fixed you up in minutes," said Alice.

"I forgot the password to the common room," laughed Neville

**Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."**

"Wow good advice Ron," said Alice sarcastically.

** There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness — this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it. **

Lily shook her head and whispered something that sounded a lot like "boys."

**"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go." **

**They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry." **

**"I wonder who that could be ," grinned Sirius. **

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown. **

**"****_You_****!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!" **

**I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy — he's a prefect**,

"I'm sure he knows his own brother is a prefect" laughed Sirius "he's mentioned it enough."

Hermione laughed. "Oh shut up, I was eleven a stickler for the rules and honestly I just wanted them to be my friend, I think I maybe went about it the wrong way."

"Wow really you think that, I don't know what gave you that Idea," laughed Sirius with a wink.

**he'd put a stop to this." **

**Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. **

Hermione looked at Harry

"Sorry Harry winced,"

"I still maintain I was doing the right thing and it was for your own good," she said

"You would, knowing what comes next," whispered Ron.

"**Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole. **

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose. **

**"Don't you****_ care_**** about Gryffindor, do you****_ only_**** care about yourselves,****_ I_**** don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."**

**"Go away." **

**"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so —" **

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. **

**The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor Tower. **

**"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

**"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late." **

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them. **

**"I'm coming with you," she said. **

**"You are****_ not._****" **

**"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."**

"Seriously!" said James

"The sad thing is Harry probably would," Laughed Ron

"Probably," said Harry.

"Too nice for your own good sometimes," laughed Ron.

**"You've got some nerve —" said Ron loudly. **

**"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something." **

**It was a sort of snuffling. **

**"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark. **

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer. **

**"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed." **

A few of the people in the room laughed including Neville. Out of the four it was him who had changed the most. It was weird listening to how clumsy and forgetful he had been when he was younger.

**"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

**"How's your arm?" said Harry. **

**"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute." **

**"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —" **

**"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already." **

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville. **

**"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you." **

**Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, **

"You really can't help yourself can you," laughed James.

**but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. **

**They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room. **

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by. **

"He's not going to turn up," Said Regulus, "He's done it to get you in trouble, Slytherin remember sly and cunning."

**"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered. **

"Or there is always that option, he seems like a cowardly little wart," said James.

"True but I'm inclined to agree Reg," said Sirius, "which is kinda weird, because it doesn't happen very often."

"Oh I don't know I agree with some of the pictures on your walls and I'm not talking about the motorbikes. Just don't go telling mum that."

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you Reggie, you always seemed so prim and proper and full of pureblood pride."

"Yes but I'm also a sixteen year old red blooded male, and just because they're nice to look at, doesn't mean I would lower myself to be involved with a one hot or not," sneered Regulus.

James opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by Alice

"After you have finished objectifying my gender can I get back to reading please," she said, while the other girls looked exasperated at the topic of conversation between the two brothers.

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy. **

"Knew it," muttered Regulus.

**"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." **

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room**.

**"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding." **

**"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run — he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. **

**The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle. **

**"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following — they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going — they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room. **

**"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering. **

**"I —****_ told_**** — you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you." **

"**We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible." **

**"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off." **

**Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that. **

**Hermione shook her head at the stubbornness of her best friend.**

** "Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight. **

**"Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out." **

**Peeves cackled. **

**"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty." **

**"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please." **

**"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a sanity voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know." **

**"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves — **

"That is not going to go down well," winced Sirius.

**this was a big mistake. **

**"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!" **

**Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked. **

**"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for This is the end!"**

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves' shouts. **

**"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "****_Alohomora_****!" **

"Good job Hermione did come then," said Remus.

**The lock clicked and the door swung open — they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening. **

**"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying.**

**"Quick, tell me." **

** "Say 'please.' "**

**"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now****_ where did they go_****?" **

**"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.**

Sirius burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Lily

"If he is going to do what I think he is going to do then you'll find out."

**"All right —****_ please._****" **

**"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"**

The room howled with laughter

"How did you know he was going to say that?" asked Lily

"Because it's such a Peeves thing to do," laughed Sirius.

**And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage**.

**"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get****_ off,_**** Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "****_What_****?"**

**Harry turned around — and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare — this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far. **

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. **

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. **

"What is Merlins name is that doing in Hogwarts," screeched Lily.

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant. **

**Harry groped for the doorknob — between Filch and death, he'd take Filch. **

**They fell backward — Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

**"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces. **

**"Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs. **

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again. **

"I didn't think I would," said Neville earnestly.

**"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does." **

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. **

**"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?" **

"Hermione, it had three heads why would they be looking at its feet," said Sirius.

**"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its **feet, I was too busy with its **heads." **

**"No,****_ not_**** the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." **

"OH look at Sherlock Holmes over here," laughed Remus

She stood up, glaring at them.

**"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled.**

"Priorities Hermione, you might want to get some because I do believe you're lacking," laughed Alice

** Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." **

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open. **

**"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?" **

**"He's got a point you know," said Sirius.**

**But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed.**

"Of course she had," laughed Alice.

**The dog was guarding something. ¼ What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide — except perhaps Hogwarts. **

**It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

"

And that my fine friends was the end of another action packed chapter, there you go lover boy," she said passing the book to Frank.

* * *

Thanks once more to everyone who has reviewed. hopefully it won't take me too long to catch up on what I lost.


	13. Halloween

J.K. Rowling is the genius behind Harry Potter, so please don't sue me. I have nothing, except a water damaged phone and an IPod touch with a cracked screen. Everything you see in bold belongs to her.

I'm currently writing this while waiting for Supernatural to start so if a character you love dies in this chapter blame supernatural that is after all how they roll.

A Supernatural character died… Don't worry though, all of these are safe. For now mwahahaha.

* * *

Frank took the book from his girlfriend and read aloud **"Halloween"**

"I love Halloween at Hogwarts I remember my first Halloween here it was amazing, muggles don't celebrate it as much, the kids dress up and go trick or treating but no decorations or anything." said Lily.

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, **

"I wonder where he gets that from," said Lily staring pointedly at James.

**And they were quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. **

"Tut tut Harry," said Alice shaking her finger at the book, "you told Hagrid you wouldn't say anything."

**"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron**.

"Probably both," said Snape

**"Or both," said Harry. **

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues. **

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again. **

"At least your son has some common sense" said Lily

"Must get it from Frank," said Sirius. "No way is it from Ali."

"Oi," protested Alice throwing a cushion at his head.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.**

"Thanks guys," said Hermione staring at them.

"Well you were," said Ron. "We just learnt to love it."

**All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later. **

"Broomstick, broomstick, broomstick, please be the broomstick," chanted James.

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel. **

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said: **

**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. **

**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand,**

"Yes I was hoping you would get that one it sounds amazing," said James.

"The only thing you've heard is its name," said Remus

"Yes and its name sounds amazing," replied James like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

**But I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. **

** Professor M. McGonagall**

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read. **

**"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even****_ touched_**** one." **

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it. **

**"That's a broomstick," he said,**

"Wow isn't he observant," muttered Sirius.

** Throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face."You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."**

**Ron couldn't resist it.**

**"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus." **

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."**

"I would rather be poor and decent than have all the money in the world and be like that little brat," said Lily

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow. **

**"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked. **

**"Potters been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly. **

**"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?" **

"I love Professor Flitwick," laughed Sirius.

**A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added. **

"Nice one son," said James laughing

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. **

**"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team. "**

**"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand. **

**"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry. **

**"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good." **

"Again I'll ask how did you guys come to be friends?" said Sirius

** Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.**

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night. He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last. **

**"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread. **

**Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. **

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. He'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high. **

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling — he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch. **

**"Hey, Potter, come down!"**

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him. **

**"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant ¼ you really are a natural.**

James was beaming with pride

** I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week." **

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls. **

**"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers." **

**"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball. **

**"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers **

"The best position to play," intoned James.

"No way," said Harry "seeker is way better."

"Keeper," said Ron

"Definitely seeker," said Regulus

"Well I beat you all, sometimes literally because beaters, _are_ the best," said Sirius with a smug smile.

"Or maybe you're all just as sad as each other," said Lily "What do you say Hermione?"

"Oh I don't know Hermione likes her Quidditch players," laughed Harry, earning him a smack over the back of his head.

"Oh _please_ tell me we get to hear about your teenage love life in embarrassing detail," said Sirius his eyes glinting with glee.

Harry groaned loudly "I really hope not, living it once was bad enough."

Ron started laughing thinking about the Cho fiasco.

"Like you can laugh Won Won," said Hermione turning to her boyfriend. This quickly shut him up as he turned bright red.

"Ahh young love," said Remus.

"Like you can talk," muttered Harry under his breath.

"Can I carry on reading now," asked Frank. "How did a Quidditch discussion turn into a talk about failed teenage relationships anyway?"

"Because apparently Hermione is a chaser of the different kind," laughed Sirius, earning him another cushion to the face.

"Please carry on Mr Longbottom," said Dumbledore.

**throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?" **

**"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So — that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?" **

"What's basketball?" asked Sirius.

"A muggle sport," replied Harry

**"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. **

**"Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

**"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper — I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring." **

**"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box. **

**"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat. **

**"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers." **

**He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.**

**"Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers. **

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air — it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground. **

**"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team — the Weasley twins are ours — it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So — think you've got all that?" **

**"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off. **

**"Very good," said Wood.**

**"Er — have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand. **

"Harry a sentence like that is never going to sound off hand," laugh Alice, "please tell me you become more optimistic with age as well because the way you think is really depressing."

**"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the **

**Bludgers —" **

**"— unless they crack my head open."**

**"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers — I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves." **

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the **

**Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings. **

**"****_This,_****" said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages — I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. **

**"Well, that's it — any questions?"**

**Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem. **

"Harry have a little faith in yourself everyone has said you're awesome believe them and go with it," said James

**"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these." **

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch. **

**Harry didn't miss a single one, **

"Like I said you're awesome," said James

**and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on. **

**"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons." **

"Awesome," said Sirius.

**Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. **

Lily frowned at the reminder of what a horrible up bringing her son had had.

"That's the way I think of the castle," said Sirius. "Mind you Azkaban would probably be a nicer place to live than with my mother."

"Maybe if you didn't purposely piss her off every chance you got," said Regulus

"Maybe if she cared more about the fact I'm her son than the fact I'm a Gryffindor. Oh and not to mention a blood traitor," replied Sirius.

Regulus sneered at his older brother shaking his head. "It's called family honour,"

"It's called bigotry you fucking idiot. Anyone with a mind of their own can see that," snapped Sirius

"Gentlemen please," said Dumbledore. "You are brothers you don't want to be treating each other this way you will regret it later in life and by the too much time will have passed and the damage will be irreparable."

"Maybe if he could see sense," said Sirius not taking his eyes off his younger brother.

"Well by the sounds of these books I do see sense as you put it," said Regulus returning the stare. "Why else would I be here if it wasn't because I betray everything I've been brought up to believe."

"Please do carry on Mr Longbottom," said McGonagall.

**His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics. **

**On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye). Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived**.

**"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too — never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest**."

James and Remus burst out laughing

"Oh shut up," said Sirius. "That was one time, I thought he was lying."

**It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it — Harry had to put it out with his hat. **

"Good to know they come in useful for one thing," laughed Sirius.

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck. **

**"****_Wingardium Leviosa_****!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill. **

**The whole room burst out laughing.**

"I wasn't waving my arms that much," said Ron indignantly

"Yeah you were," said Harry and Hermione together

**"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-****_gar_****-dium Levi-****_o_****-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." **

**"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled. **

"Ron now your just gonna make yourself look bad of course Hermione can do it," said Sirius

**Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "****_Wingardium Leviosa_****!" **

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads. **

**"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping**.**"Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"**

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. **

**"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly." **

**Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears**.

"Typical," said Sirius. "What," he said seeing the glares from the girls, "Typical she heard, not typical she was in tears, I swear half the things you women tell blokes off for's all in your head."

**"I think she heard you."**

**"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends." **

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds. **

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet**.

**Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know." **

**He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. **

"Wow he really is quite the defence against the dark arts teacher isn't he," said Sirius.

**There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence. **

** "Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

"Urm Professor, the Slytherin dormitories are in the dungeons," said Regulus.

"I'm sure I wouldn't have let any of you be in danger," replied Dumbledore.

**Percy was in his element.**

"I bet he was," muttered Sirius.

**"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!" **

**"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs. **

**"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."**

"Nah peeves is a prankster but her would never do something that dangerous," said James

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm. **

**"I've just thought — Hermione." **

**"What about her?" **

** "She doesn't know about the troll."**

"Aww you do care how sweet," cooed Alice.

**Ron bit his lip.**

**"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us." **

"Why not tell Percy he could inform a teacher and you wouldn't have to go sneaking off," said Lily

"Trust me you don't know Percy he would make a huge deal out of it and just slow everything down," said Ron

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. **

**"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin. **

**Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view. **

"What a surprise Snape acting suspicious, what you up to then eh Snivelly," said James

"How am I to know this is thirteen years in the future," replied Snape silkily

**"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?" **

"That's something we'd all like to know kiddo," said James.

**"Search me."**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps. **

**"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand. **

**"Can you smell something?" **

**Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. **

"O oh," said Alice, "Seems the troll has left the dungeons."

**And then they heard it — a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed — at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight. **

**It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. **

**The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room. **

**"The key's in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in." **

**"Good idea," said Ron nervously. **

**They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it. **

** "****_Yes_****!"**

**Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop — a high, petrified scream — and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up**.

"Oh seriously, of all the rooms in Hogwarts you had to lock it in the bathroom with Hermione," said Sirius.

**"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.**

** "It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.**

** "****_Hermione_****!" they said together.**

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside. **

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. **

**"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall. **

**The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went. **

**"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it. **

**"Come on, run,****_ run_****!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. **

"Not a good time to freeze Hermione," Said Remus.

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape. **

**Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped — it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils. **

"Ewww," cried Alice.

**Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club. **

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand — not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "****_Wingardium Leviosa_****!"**

"Oh very clever," said Snape, "say the one spell you failed to do right."

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over — and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. **

"You were saying," said James laughing

Snape just sneered and James and turned his attention back to Frank reading.

**The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble. **

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. **

**It was Hermione who spoke first. **

**"Is it — dead?" **

**"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out." **

**He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue. **

"And again with the ewww factor," said Alice.

**"Urgh — troll bogies." **

**He wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart. **

"Heart of a lion that one," said Sirius.

**Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind**.

**"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" **

**Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down**.

"Sorry mate," said Ron

**Then a small voice came out of the shadows. **

**"Please, Professor McGonagall — they were looking for me." **

**"Miss Granger!"**

** Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

**"I went looking for the troll because I — I thought I could deal with it on my own — you know, because I've read all about them." **

"Miss Granger," said Sirius feigning shock, "I didn't know you had it in you."

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? **

"And neither did Ron apparently," said Remus.

**"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived." **

**Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them. **

"And failed miserably," said Hermione

**"Well — in that case ¼" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?" **

**Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets. **

All the Gryffindors and the one Ravenclaw in the room snorted.

**"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses." **

**Hermione left.**

** Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.**

**"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. **

"Five points for saving somebodies life and taking down a troll?" asked James in disbelieve.

**Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go." **

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else. **

**"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled. **

"Someone can't count," laughed Sirius, "still, I'm with you there pal."

**"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's." **

** "Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we****_ did_**** save her."**

"She wouldn't have needed saving if you didn't make her cry in the first place," pointed out Lily.

**"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him. They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

**"Pig snout," they said and entered.**

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates. **

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend.** **There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them**.

"And there is your answer of how they became friends," said Frank.

"Yep," replied Sirius. "That would probably do it."

"it's also the end of the chapter," Frank said.

"Well I think we shall leave it on that happy note for this evening. Mr Potter Miss Evans if you two could carry out your Saturday night round of the castle, and the rest of you head back to your common room. We will meet back here at nine tomorrow. I will have a word with your professors and let them know you won't be attending lessons for the duration of the reading. However you are all bright and able students so you will still be provided with the home work, and I expect it to be done and handed in on time," said Dumbledore. "To our time travellers and Mr Longbottom I bid you goodnight and hope that you find this room comfortable.

* * *

AN: Thanks again to all the reviews.

These are some long ass notes sorry.

I just want to point something out before/in case it is brought up. I know Hermione gets a bit of a ribbing in this chapter, and some of the previous ones, but I hope it comes across that it is all in jest. The reason I started writing this is because I love the 'they read the books' stories, but you can always tell which characters the authors have a problem with, and they seem to get unnecessary bashing I hate character bashing unless it is unjustified, so the Slyths in the room will probably get their fair share, as will Draco, because to the Gryffindors he is going to seem like a total dick. Plus we all know how much James loves the Slyths. Sirius and Regulus will probably argue a lot because they are siblings and that's what siblings do, and they'll all take the piss out of each other because that's what friends do, but I hope that none of you will be able to guess which characters I dislike because this isn't a fic about me reading the books now is it.

I had a reviewer asking about Sirius/Hermione pairing. Sorry but I'll most likely be staying with cannon pairings. Emphasis on the most likely, if two people have chemistry who am I to stand in their way. But the way I see Sirius, and from the stuff I have read about him while writing this fic, is that all the ladies might love Sirius but he's having way too much fun with his friends to get involved with one. Although I bet he is totally aware of how much of a lady killer he is, and is a major flirt almost without realising just comes naturally to him. Thats my head canon (I have a friend like this, he doesn't know why girls think he fancies them back, because he never realises that he flirts with them.) but like I said who knows what Hermione's womanly ways are capable of

Wow they were long authors notes. If you read them all then you deserve, I don't know what, but you deserve something good. I just wanted to let you guys know where I am coming from with this fic and where it's going. Now I need to get back to working out would Regulus have the knowledge to know the diary was a Horcrux in book two or do I leave him in suspense until book six.


	14. Night Time Musings

I do not own Harry Potter I am not that intelligent, or awesome. That would be J.K Rowling. Everything in bold belongs to her as do all the characters.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Frank all sat around the couches discussing the things they had already read about, Frank had tried to get them to tell him more information about what was to come but they weren't budging. Soon enough they were laughing and joking about everything, and the boys were extremely interested to hear about auror training. Frank was delighted his son was interested in becoming an auror.

"I would love to teach Herbology really but Sprout doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon, maybe once she retires I could try for it, but I would like to be an auror until then."

"Well I would like to go into the regulation and control of magical creatures, I really think the treatment of house elves is disgusting, I know they like being enslaved but they deserve to have some rights," said Hermione.

"Well it just depends who they work for some house elves have it made, my aunt is loves hers like it's her child or something it's kind of disturbing, but I know what you mean a lot of house elves get treated terribly. You will have a hard job changing that though most house elves would be offended if you offered time off and money and such, and he ones that are treated horribly would be too afraid to speak up," said Frank. "Plus they don't like to admit it but the Ministry is very prejudice against a lot of magical creatures."

"Oh trust us, we know, they don't get much better in our time either." said Harry.

* * *

Up in the Gryffindor common room Peter Pettigrew had just gone to bed. Sirius and Remus were sitting in a secluded corner talking about the days event and what they'd learnt.

"It must have been bad if they decided the best thing to do would be to travel back 13 years to change everything," said Remus. "That was a risky decision and still could be if we decide not to change things they might get stuck hear what if it doesn't work for the return trip."

"What do you mean decide not to change things James and Lily are going to die in three years if we don't and I'm not letting that happen," said Sirius.

"I know it's just how many more people died, I mean as horrible as it is Harry isn't the first kid in the world to grow up without parents, that doesn't really warrant a massive time travel trip."

"Do you think we die," asked Sirius.

"Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the room dies," answered Remus frowning, "another thing I want to know is why Peter's not there."

"Maybe he's dead too in Harrys time."

"Yeah but Lily and James are dead and they're in the room with us."

"Yeah but if Peter died before them, or Harry never knew Peter or how he die,d then this book won't tell us, and'll be no good in stopping it from happening so they'd be no point inviting him. At least with Lily and James we know how they died, we may be able to change that," said Sirius.

"Maybe but did you see their faces when we asked about him, it seems like they certainly knew who he was," said Remus.

"God only knows, I guess we'll find out though," said Sirius

* * *

It was eleven O clock and James and Lily were heading back up to the Gryffindor tower after their night time patrol.

"I can't believe we don't even get to know out son, and things must get really bad for them to come back here, and these books seem to revolve around him, and we're not even there to help him. I just feel helpless," said Lily for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I know," said James in a comforting tone. "but if they've come back we have the chance to change things, and hopefully we will change things."

"But why did Voldemort want to kill us in the first place, there're thousands of witches and wizards out there that are against him," replied Lily

"I really don't know," said James. "It seems we have a lot of questions we need answered. I can't believe Regulus is there and supposedly helps, every time Sirius has mentioned him it seems he's on course to become as death eaters, as well as Snape for that matter."

"I was surprised to see them there, I haven't talked to Snape in over a year but when I mentioned joining them to him, he never denied it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason they helped was to save their own necks, because it probably isn't out of the goodness of their hearts," replied James in a disgusted voice. "Runespore,"

"Very well," said the Fat lady opening up to let them in.

* * *

Up in the Slytherin dorms Regulus was in the boys wash room getting ready for bed. As he took off his shirt his eye caught the newest addition to his body. He ran his hand over the mark, he had had it since the summer holidays after his fifth year, he would have joined as soon as he turned sixteen if he wasn't in school, but now, now, he didn't know what to think. Even if he did help with the destruction of the Dark Lord, it wasn't going to end well for him. If he betrayed his master surely he would be killed. What was he going to do and what on earth made him turn his back on everything he knew.

He had wanted to join the Dark Lord since he first got told about him years before, he believed in his mission, why would he suddenly change his mind.

He was terrified some of the people in the year above him would find out what he was doing in the room of requirement. He knew they weren't able to talk about what they were doing in the there but he still didn't trust that it wouldn't be found out, and if they did they would surely tell, he knew some of them had already joined the death eaters.

He was scared to go back there but at the same time needed to know what made him change his mind.

All this going round in circles was doing him no good. He finished getting ready for bed and tried to push thoughts to the back of his head, but it was the first of many sleepless nights for Regulus.

* * *

**AN**. Extremely short chapter all because I wanted Regulus to start angsting over everything. I am not 100% happy with it but I wrote it like four times.


	15. Quidditch

I do not own Harry Potter that pleasure is J. .

* * *

At 9am the next morning everyone was just getting settled down for anther day of reading.

Severus picked up the book and flicked to the right chapter and read aloud, **"Quidditch."**

"Yes exclaimed," James, "this is going to be an awesome chapter."

**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots**.

**The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship. **

**Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. **

"The day a secret is kept in Hogwarts, will be the day I join the death eaters," said Sirius.

**But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse — people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress. **

**It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, **

"Oh good to know I'm useful for something," said Hermione shaking her head.

**What with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him****_ Quidditch Through the Ages, _****which turned out to be a very interesting read. **

**Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert. **

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it.**

Everyone in the room erupted into laughter while Hermione was shaking her head at her two best friends.

**The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping.** **Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye**.

"More like he was just looking for another excuse to pick on you," said James

** He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway. **

"look at the shock on my face," said James keeping his expression blank.

**"What's that you've got there, Potter?" **

It was_ Quidditch Through the Ages._ Harry showed him.

**"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape**.

"That's a lie," said Lily, "You've had half the library in the school grounds at one point or another."

"Like he cares about that, he's just doing it to get at me. Well in case you haven't realised Snivelly I'm dead at that point the only person you're tormenting is an innocent child who has no idea why you're treating him so badly," said James hotly. "You think I'm a bully at least you can defend yourself."

"I can defend myself," said Harry indignantly.

"Not at eleven year old against a teacher you can" said James.

**"Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." **

**"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?" **

**"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly. **

"You and me both," muttered James.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway. **

**Harry felt restless. He wanted****_ Quidditch Through the Ages_**** back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.**

**"Better you than me," they said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening. **

**He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing. **

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside — and a horrible scene met his eyes. **

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone**.

"Oh god do not need to know the horrible sight please have mercy on my sanity," said Sirius in a dramatic voice.

Snape growled and carried on reading.

** Snape was holding his robes above his knees.**

"I literally could not think of a worse thing to walk in on," said a sickened Sirius.

"It's not what you sick mind is thinking Black, so maybe you could take it out of the gutter for once," replied a furious Snape

**One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. **

"Oh that's okay than," said Sirius in relieve. "I was worried I was going to suffer mental scaring then.

**"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" **

"So you are trying to get the stone then, why doesn't that surprise me," said James. "Someone remind me what he's doing here again, because I find it hard to believe he would help defeat Voldemort

"James we are only on the first book," reasoned Lily. Although even she sounded doubtful, she wanted to believe the best of her old friend but the way he was acting was making it so difficult to do so.

**Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but — **

**"POTTER!" **

"Ah bad luck pup, now you're in for it." Groaned Sirius.

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped. **

**"I just wondered if I could have my book back." **

**"GET OUT!****_ OUT_****!" **

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor**.

The Gryffindors in the room laughed.

"Good thinking kiddo," chuckled James.

**He sprinted back upstairs. **

**"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?" **

**In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.**

**"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly.**

"That he's a no good piece of…"

** "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! **

Snape continued before James could finish his insult.

**That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick****_ he_**** let that troll in, to make a diversion!" **

"wish I took you up on that bet now," whispered Ron.

**Hermione's eyes were wide.**

**"No — he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

**"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding**?"

**Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind — he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours — but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget. **

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match. **

** "You've got to eat some breakfast."**

** "I don't want anything."**

** "Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

**"I'm not hungry." **

**Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field. **

**"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team." **

"Well that's helpful," said Alice.

"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said****_ Potter for _**

**_President,_**** and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours. **

**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green). **

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

** "Okay, men," he said.**

**"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson. **

** "And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

**"The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

** "The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

"I take it he doesn't change his speech very often," laughed Frank.

"You know the more I hear about these twins the more I wish we knew them," said Sirius

"Well you do know them in the future," said Ron "and you do get on rather well, you helped them develop some joke stuff over the summer holidays."

**"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year." **

**"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it. " **

** He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

**"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you." **

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers. **

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand. **

**"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. **

"That's what incest does to you," said Sirius. "It's a wonder I turned out so handsome,"

James snorted and threw a cushion in Sirius direction.

**Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing****_ Potter for President_**** over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver. **

** "Mount your brooms, please."**

** Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. **

**"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"**

**"JORDAN!"**

** "Sorry, Professor."**

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall. **

"I'll never forget when you done the commentary Remus," laughed Sirius, "It was hilarious, although I don't think the Slytherins appreciated it very much,"

"Nor did I," said McGonagall in a stern voice.

"Oh come on Professor you were dying to laugh really," laughed Sirius.

"My two weeks' worth of detention would say differently," said Remus wincing at the memory of cleaning out the hospital bed pans by hand for fourteen nights solid.

**"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"**

The Gryffindors in the room all cheered loudly

**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins. **

** "Budge up there, move along."**

**"Hagrid!" **

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them. **

**"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?" **

**"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."**

**"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry. **

**Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.**

**"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be." **

"Good planning," said James, "the other team will know you're not as experienced s the others and they might have targeted you."

**When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches,**

"what's he doing wearing that to the games!" exclaimed James.

**and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it. **

**"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint. **

**"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?" **

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. **

**Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch. **

"If they were my team I'd have something to say about that," said Regulus.

"Me too!" agreed James.

**Harry was faster than Higgs — he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead — he on an extra spurt of speed —**

**WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below — Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life. **

"He isn't allowed to do that!" exclaimed James.

!It's a Gryffindor/Slytherin match since when have they ever been clean games," replied Remus.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again. **

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!" **

"What the hell is a red card," asked Regulus

"It's a muggle thing, in football if the players foul another player they get a yellow or red card depending on how bad the foul was, re cards get you send off the playing field and two yellow cards equal a red card, once you have been sent off you can't play for the rest of the game," replied Harry

"But this isn't football," said Regulus

"Yes but it was mid game so I think Dean was probably just a bit excited," said Hermione.

**"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron. **

**"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!" **

** "But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side. **

**"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air." **

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides. **

**"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —" **

**"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.**

** "I mean, after that open and revolting foul —"**

**"****_Jordan, I'm warning you_**** —" **

**"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure,**

The occupants of the room were howling with laughter.

"That was brave of him," laughed Remus.

**so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession." **

**It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. **

**"Why do I get a feeling that it's not a good "it" that happened," said Lily nervously **

**His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that. **

**"What the… How is that happening brooms don't suddenly start acting like that."**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal posts — he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out — and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him. **

By this point, Lily had a hold of James' arm in a death grip.

**Lee was still commentating. **

**"Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet — passes Bell — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose — only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — oh no ¼" **

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went. **

"Why hasn't someone noticed," whimpered Lily.

**"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom ¼ but he can't have. ¼" **

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand. **

Lily buried her head in James' shoulder.

**"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered. **

"It can't have it would take some powerful magic to make a broom act like that," said Remus.

**"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand." **

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd. **

**"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, grey-faced. **

Snape paused for a moment when he seen the next line and groaned internally, great he was going to have to read about himself trying to kill the kid, this wasn't going to go down well.

**"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look." **

"You," shouted James "what the hell are you doing to my son's broom."

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath. **

**"He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione. **

"You're trying to kill my son," screamed Lily Raising to her feet. "Really Severus I know we're not friends anymore but this, I didn't think you hated me enough to go this far."

"No — I — I don't — couldn't — I don't know why I'm doing this but I don't hate you."

"Well you're doing a pretty good impression of It," she screamed and ran towards one of the bathrooms tears streaming down her face.

"Are you happy with yourself," said James, "proud of the person you become are you? That's a child you're trying to murder, an innocent child. I know you hate me and yeah the things I have done to you in the past maybe I deserve it, but Lily doesn't and my eleven year old son certainly doesn't. So why don't you try being a man about what has happened in the past and grow the hell up."

Harry wanted to say something, to stop his dad but he didn't know what he could say to make this any better.

Severus couldn't bear to look at anyone he couldn't believe he was so bitter, yes he hated James, yes he hated that they obviously went on to get married and have a child but this was too far, trying to murder someone out of spite and jealousy. He didn't like the man he seemed to become any more than anyone else in the room.

Meanwhile in the bathroom Lily was being comforted by the two girls.

"I know it seems terrible now," said Hermione "but trust me it will become clearer later, one of the reasons we are here is because it's important that you and Snape become friends again, I can't tell you why I wish I could but we'll get there soon."

"I'll never be his friend," sobbed Lily. "Not after this how can I be, I don't care if he turns over a new leaf later on down the line and becomes Harry's personal protector, he is trying to murder my son right now and I just can't forgive that."

Emerging from the bathroom Lily walked over to where Snape sat. "Look at me," she said with conviction.

Snape slowly raised his head to meet the bright green eyes and was shocked to see how much hatred they held. He would have given anything not to see them eyes looking at him like that.

"You may need to be here and you may help defeat Voldemort," said continued in the same hard cold tone. "but I will never forgive you for this…Ever! Don't speak to me, don't even look at me again. You make me sick." And she turned on her heal and walked back to her position next to James.

Severus didn't know what to say, he was struck dumb and he felt like his whole world had come crashing down around him again like it did the day he had lost Lily's friendship in his fifth year. Next to him he felt Regulus lean over and take the book from his hand and clear his throat.

"Before I begin reading," he said. "It might do well for you all to remember that counter curses also need eye contact."

"Didn't see anyone else muttering under their breath though did they," replied James still seething.

Nobody in the room answered this, Severus hated to think that Potter was right but there seemed no way to dig himself of this hole there it was plain as day, he was trying to murder and eleven year old boy because he's jealous.

**"What should we do?" **

**"Leave it to me." **

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good — every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.**

"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes. **

"You set him on fire?" asked Sirius incredulously, "I knew I loved you Hermione."

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row — Snape would never know what had happened. **

**It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom. **

**"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes. **

**Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick — he hit the field on all fours**

"Okay I take it back this is not a good chapter, first someone tries to do him in and now he is going to puke in front of the whole school," said James'

**— coughed — and something gold fell into his hand. **

"No way," said James "No way you caught the snitch on a jinxed broom. It's official my son is the best Quidditch player Hogwarts has seen."

"It is impressive," said Regulus, "shame you can't be seen out and about the castle I would have had a one on one seeker game with you,"

"Oh he would run you into the ground no problem, you might be our biggest competition but by the sounds of this you are no match for Harry."

**"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion. **

"He didn't_ catch_ it, he nearly_ swallowed_ it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later,

"He got it fair and square suck it up you inbred plebeian," said James

**but it made no difference — Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione. **

**"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you." **

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?" **

"Because he's childish, immature, evil, would you like me to go on the list is quiet extensive," growled James.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth. **

**"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding**."

**Hagrid dropped the teapot. **

**"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said. **

"Fluffy!" exclaimed Sirius and Alice in unison.

**"****_Fluffy_****?"**

**"Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"**

** "Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

**"Philosophers stone," said Alice knowingly**

**"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is." **

** "But Snape's trying to****_ steal_**** it."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort." **

**"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. **

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape. **

**"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

**"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —" **

**"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself. **

Dumbledore was shaking his head his eyes twinkling, Hagrid was a great and loyal friend but he couldn't keep a secret to save his life.

"Should I just carry straight on," asked Regulus, "seeing as this next chapter is the one I was supposed to read anyway.

* * *

Thanks again for your reviews.


	16. The Mirror of Erised

I do not own Harry Potter everything in bold and all the characters you recognise belong to JKR

Regulus carried on reading where he had left off. "**The Mirrir of Erised**."

**Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.**

"I really do love those twins" laughed Sirius. Quickly followed by a stern look from McGonagall

** The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. **

**No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. **

"The dungeons are the worst in winter," moaned Alice.

**"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy,**

"That you're a complete dick," intoned James

**One Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." **

"I would rather be un wanted by the likes of the Dursleys than only be wanted to be a pawn to daddy's master," snapped Lily

"Just because his parents support the Dark Lord it doesn't mean they don't care for their son," replied Regulus.

**He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lion-fish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick.**

"Suck on that Malfoy," said James smirking.

**So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family. **

"Wow don't you love how original he is," said Alice

**It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had.**

Lily frowned again at the reminder of Harry's home life.

**Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. **

**When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it. **

**"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches. **

** "Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."**

**"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose — that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to." **

"I know I've said this millions of times and in various different ways but he really is such a vile little pig," said Lily in disgust.

**Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs. **

"Oh great now that murdering bastard is going to have a go at Ron," said James shooting a look towards Snape.

"I haven't murdered anyone," snapped Snape.

"You tried," replied James.

Snape's face twisted in rage and disgust as he averted his eyes to the floor

**"WEASLEY!" **

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes. **

**"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family." **

**"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. **

"You really are on a power trip aren't you Snivelly," said Sirius in disgust.

**"Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you." **

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking. **

**"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him —" **

"I seriously hope you do," said James looking over to Ron. "Someone needs to knock him down a peg or two."

**"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape." **

James and Sirius smirked at each other while Remus shook his head. "Like father like son," he said.

**"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

"I love the Hogwarts at Christmas," sighed Lily.

"You love Hogwarts all the time," said Alice.

**So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. **

**"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree — put it in the far corner, would you?" **

**The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles. **

**"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked. **

**"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me — Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library." **

"The library right before Christmas, you sure you're my son?" asked James.

**"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree. **

**"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?" **

"Right with you mate," said James.

**"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is." **

"Nosey," coughed Alice

**"You****_ what_****?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here — I've told yeh — drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'." **

**"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione. **

**"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere — just give us a hint — I know I've read his name somewhere." **

"Chocolate frog card," said Sirius.

"What?" asked Frank.

"Nicolas Flamel, he's on Dumbledore's Chocolate frog card, it was in the beginning of the book," replied Sirius.

"Good memory," said Alice.

"How else do you think I do so well in school without studying," said Sirius Lightly

**"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.**

"Nice try kiddo," said James.

**"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library. **

**They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal?** **The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in ****_Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century,_**** or****_ Notable Magical Names of Our Time_****; he was missing, too, from ****_Important Modern Magical Discoveries,_**** and****_ A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry._**** And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows. **

Dumbledore chuckled "They're not going to have much luck looking there."

**Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there.**

"I think not," said Dumbledore

**Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts. **

**"What are you looking for, boy?" **

**"Nothing," said Harry. **

**Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him. **

**"You'd better get out, then. Go on — out!" **

**Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to. **

**Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks. **

**Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch. **

**"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything." **

**"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them." **

**"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione. **

"What's a dentist?" asked Frank

"Sort of like a healer for your teeth," replied Hermione.

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. **

"Ahh yes that's more like it, you are my son," laughed James**. **

**They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork — bread, English muffins, marshmallows — and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work**.

**Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family — in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted. **

**Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send****_ him,_**** we can afford to lose****_ him._****" **

"I hate chess," said Sirius.

"Yeah because you always loose," laughed Remus.

**On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.**

Lily frowned again and James wrapped his arm around her.

**When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed. **

"You got some," said Lily smiling

"yep I got some every year I was at Hogwarts," replied Harry.

**"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe. **

**"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!" **

**"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's. **

**Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it — it sounded a bit like an owl.**

**A second, very small parcel contained a note. **

**_We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia._**** Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece. **

**"That's friendly," said Harry.**

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

**"****_Weird_****!" he said, "What a shape! This is****_ money_****?"**

"You do realise you were channelling you're father right there," laughed Harry.

"Shut up," replied Ron going red.

**"You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle — so who sent these?" **

**"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and — oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater." **

"That's lovely of your mum Ron," sighed Lily

"Yeah she loves Harry, he's practically family," said Ron

**Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand- knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge. **

**"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's****_ always_**** maroon." **

**"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty. **

**His next present also contained candy — a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. **

"Yeah guy's thanks for your presents that year, I loved them," said Hermione her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well we didn't expect you to get us anything," said Harry

"It's a guy thing," said Lily.

**This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it. **

**Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped. **

"Is that – that's – is that my invisibility cloak?" asked James

**"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavour Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is — they're really rare, and****_ really_**** valuable." **

**"What is it?" **

**Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material. **

**"It's an Invisibility Cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is — try it on." **

**Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell. **

James Sirius and Remus all grinned

** "It****_ is_****! Look down!"**

**Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely. **

**"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it! " **

**Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words:**

**_Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. _**

**_A Very Merry Christmas to you. _**

"I wonder why you had it sir," said James.

"I have an idea after these books if I could just take a look at it," said Dumbledore.

"No need," said Harry, "it is what you think it is and, well, all will be revealed by the end of the books,."

"Everything?" asked Dumbledore.

"Everything," said Harry.

**There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak. **

**"I'd give****_ anything_**** for one of these," he said. "****_Anything. _****What's the matter?" **

**"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father? **

**Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet. **

**"Merry Christmas!"**

**"Hey, look — Harry's got a Weasley sweater, too!" **

**Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G. **

**"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family." **

**"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm." **

**"I hate maroon," Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head. **

**"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid — we know we're called Gred and Forge." **

James and Sirius burst into peals of laughter.

**"What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized. **

**"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one." **

**"I — don't — want —" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew. **

**"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family." **

**They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater. **

**Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce — and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favours were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him. **

**Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided. **

"Someone's had a little too much fun me thinks," laughed Sirius.

"Well it is Christmas after all everyone can let their hair down once in a while," replied McGonagall stiffly.

**When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow- Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own ne wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner. **

**Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much. **

**After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor Tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge. **

**It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind** **all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the Invisibility Cloak and whoever had sent it. **

**Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it. **

**His father's ¼ this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air.****_ Use it well,_**** the note had said. **

**He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling. **

**Use it well. **

**Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know. **

**Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back — his father's cloak — he felt that this time — the first time — he wanted to use it alone. **

**He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole. **

**"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor. **

**Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library.**

"The Library," roared Sirius. "You have an invisibility cloak and you go to the library, I am deeply shamed."

"I suppose it is the restricted section," said James looking a little disappointed.

"Reading is good for you and it's fun," snapped Lily.

"yes reading fun books is fun and reading good books is good for you, reading school books falls under neither of them categories," said Sirius.

"It's not going to work even if you do go there," chuckled Dumbledore.

"I take it Flamel is not going to be found in the restricted section," said Alice.

"That and we take certain precautions," said Dumbledore.

**He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the Invisibility Cloak tight around him as he walked. **

**The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps. **

**The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles. **

**They didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be. **

**He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting-looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open. **

**A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence — the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note.**

"I take it that is the precaution," laughed Frank.

**He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside — stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears. **

**He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armour. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, **

"Yes as well as all over the castle," said Regulus.

**He knew, but he must be five floors above there. **

**"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library — Restricted Section." **

"Oh let me guess, going on the devastation that is Harrys luck, I'm going to say Snape is about to make a cameo appearance," sighed Alice.

**Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied,**

"And the divination award goes to Alice Brown," said Alice.

** "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them." **

"It's a wonder you're even bothering to look for him why not just pin it on Harry, that's what you always do right," snapped James.

"It is Harry," said Snape.

"Well. That's not the point," spluttered James.

**Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him — the cloak didn't stop him from being solid. **

"I'm glad someone remembers that," laughed Remus.

"That happened once," said James.

**He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in. **

**It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket — but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep** **it out of the way. **

"Which generally means it's not to be used, but of course Harry here is going to give it a go," said Alice

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: ****_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _**

"It said what now?" asked Sirius.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt" replied Regulus.

"Is that Welsh? I think that's Welsh, their words normally just sound like… Not words,"

"Wow Sirius you're so articulate," said Lily

"At least I'm not Welsh."

"You have a problem with the Welsh? I'll have you know my gran is welsh and she can, and will kick your arse," said Alice

"Nope, no problem with the Welsh, just my total lack of understanding of their language," said Sirius. "Please keep your arse kicking gran at bay."

"could you hand me the book please," asked Remus.

Regulus passed Remus the book and after a minute he smiled and handed the book back to Regulus.

"what? What does it mean?" asked Sirius.

"I'm sure you'll find out," replied Remus all knowing.

**His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it. **

**He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed — for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him. **

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror**.

"Well that doesn't at all creepy," said Alice.

**There he was, reflected in it, white and scared- looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder — but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirrors trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not? **

**He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air — she and the others existed only in the mirror. **

**She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes —****_ her eyes are just like mine,_**

Lily let out a gasp,

**Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green — exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time.**

"Oh Harry," whimpered Lily,

**The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did. **

"Me and Lily, You're seeing me and your mum. For the first time," said James barely above a whisper.

Lily was crying freely now and James hugged her closer.

**Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection. **

** "Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?"**

**They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees — Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life. **

"I'm so sorry Harry," cried Lily

"What? What for?" asked Harry confused.

"That we weren't there for you. That, that mirror and coming here is the only way you can see us, that he beat us," said Lily sniffing and wiping away her tears.

"That wasn't your fault," said Harry. "It was his; He chose to come after you he chose to murder everyone he did. You have nothing to apologise for."

**The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness. **

**How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," **

"Oh Harry please don't go back there, it'll just. It'll drive you insane." Cried Lily.

**and hurried from the room. **

**"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly. **

**"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror." **

**"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly. **

**"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone." **

"**You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people.**

"And again Ron's total lack of tact comes to light," said Alice

**Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?" **

**Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three-headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really? **

**"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd." **

**What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour. **

**"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back." **

**"****_No_****!" Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."**

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. Just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armour. **

**"It's here — just here — yes!" **

**They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror. **

**There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him. **

**"See?" Harry whispered. **

**"I can't see anything." **

**"Look! Look at them all ¼ there are loads of them. ¼" **

**"I can only see you." **

**"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am." **

**Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pyjamas. **

**Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image. **

** "Look at me!" he said.**

**"Can you see all your family standing around you?" **

**"No — I'm alone — but I'm different — I look older — and I'm Head Boy!" **

"What?" asked Sirius.

**"****_What_****?" **

**"I am — I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to — and I'm holding the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup — I'm Quidditch captain, too!" **

**Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry. **

**"Do you think this mirror shows the future?" **

"Really, Ron how do you even manage to even dress yourself in the morning?" asked Alice

**"How can it? All my family are dead — let me have another look —" **

**"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time." **

**"You're only holding the Quidditch Cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents." **

** "Don't push me —"**

"Oh please don't fight over the mirror it's really not worth it," said Lily.

**A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking. **

**"Quick!" **

**Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and **

**Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing — did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left. **

**"This isn't safe — she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on." **

**And Ron pulled Harry out of the room. **

**The snow still hadn't melted the next morning. **

**"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron. **

**"No." **

**"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?" **

**"No. you go," **

**"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight." **

"See I can be sensible at times," said Ron.

**"Why not?" **

**"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it — and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?" **

**"You sound like Hermione." **

"Hey," said Hermione indignantly.

**"I'm serious, Harry, don't go."**

**But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him. **

**That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone. **

**And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. **

**Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all. Except — **

**"So — back again, Harry?" **

**Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him. **

**"I — I didn't see you, sir." **

**"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.**

"Does he ever do anything else," whispered Sirius.

**"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."**

**"I didn't know it was called that, sir." **

** "But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"**

**"It — well — it shows me my family —" **

** "And it showed your friend Ron himself as Head Boy."**

** "How did you know — ?"**

**"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?" **

"Oh I know," said Alice, "and it's not welsh, Erised, desire, it shows your heart's desire. Harry's is to see his family and Ron's is kinda shallow."

**Harry shook his head. **

**"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?" **

**Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want ¼ whatever we want ¼" **

**"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. **

"Okay so maybe not that shallow, sorry Ron," said Alice.

**However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. **

**"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever****_ do_**** run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?" **

**Harry stood up.**

**"Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?" **

**"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however." **

**"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" **

**"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks." **

"Like I believe that," whispered Sirius.

**Harry stared. **

**"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone **

**and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books." **

**It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question. **

"You think," said Alice.

"That's the end of the chapter," said Regulus.

* * *

Okay Sorry guys that it's been so long I've had the worst couple of weeks ever. So I've been in moping and self-pity mode.


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